Rarely have a film and social movement so perfectly meshed, as the release of Man of Marble came to be seen as the international herald of the then-rising workers’ union Solidarity. Young filmmaker Agnieszka (Krystyna Janda) explores the life of Mateusz Birkut (Jerzy Radziwilowicz), a now-discredited labor hero of the 1950s who is remembered only through the statues made of him residing in cellars and storage lockers. Using cleverly created newsreels, interviews, and scenes of Agnieszka’s battles with the authorities, Wajda creates a powerful meditation on art and politics as well as a scathing dissection of a “man of marble” and the state that makes and breaks him.  

Please note that all screenings of this film will take place in the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center.