Pan Tadeusz: The Last Foray in Lithuania
- Poland
- 1999
- 147'
- FPFF’s 50 for 51: Wajda’s Actresses
In the film adaptation of the great epic poem by Adam Mickiewicz, Andrzej Wajda put the emphasis on the love affair and the action subplot both of which the modern audience would find attractive, but at the same time kept the specificity of the original language. All the actors had to learn to speak the Polish alexandrine as if they were born with it, and the film director stayed true to the original spirit of the source material. Complementing all is the music score composed by Wojciech Kilar with his take on the polonaise, which became one of the most memorable pieces of Polish film music.
- Directed by: Andrzej Wajda
- Screenplay: Andrzej Wajda, Piotr Wereśniak, Jan Nowina Zarzycki, based on the epic poem of Adam Mickiewicz
- Photography: Paweł Edelman
- Music: Wojciech Kilar
- Production Design: Allan Starski
- Costume Design: Magdalena Tesławska-Biernawska, Małgorzata Stefaniak
- Cast: Michał Żebrowski, Bogusław Linda, Grażyna Szapołowska, Andrzej Seweryn, Daniel Olbrychski, Alicja Bachleda-Curuś
One of the most brilliant Polish film and theatre directors, one of the originators of Polish Film School. He is the author of such film gems as ‘Kanał / Sewer,’ ‘Popiół i diament / Ashes and Diamonds,’ ‘Człowiek z marmuru / Man of Marble,’ ‘Człowiek z żelaza / Man of Iron,’ or ‘Katyń.’ His films frequently dealt with historic events, memory, and moral dilemmas of individuals, combining artistic cinema with profound social and political commentaries. He received the Honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Palme d’Or Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. 2026 is celebrated as the Year of Andrzej Wajda to commemorate the hundredth birth anniversary of the film director and his outstanding contribution to the history of both Polish and international cinema.
