Hunting Flies
- Poland
- 1969
- 103'
- FPFF’s 50 for 51: Wajda’s Actresses
With the wife and mother in law both having total control over his life, Włodek, a book store worker, has a love affair with Irena, a Polish Philology student. She has a vision of turning him into a renowned translator and writer. Each effort to create the ideal working conditions and make the writer-to-be acquainted with the right circles of society means that Włodek depends on Irena more and more. With the help of screenwriter Janusz Głowacki, Andrzej Wajda paints a portrait of the art circles with a great sense of irony. It is a rather bitter tale of weak men dominated by femme fatales. The film is a rare example of Andrzej Wajda adding satire to his arsenal of film tools, a testimony to the ambition of finding his language in different film genres.
- Directed by: Andrzej Wajda
- Screenplay: Janusz Głowacki, na podstawie własnego opowiadania
- Photography: Zygmunt Samosiuk
- Music: Andrzej Korzyński
- Cast: Zygmunt Malanowicz, Małgorzata Braunek, Ewa Krzyżewska, Wieńczysław Gliński, Irena Kwiatkowska
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.
