The Wajda Film Centre in Poland, in collaboration with The American Cinematheque, proudly presents six films celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Honorary Oscar awarded to Andrzej Wajda

American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre & American Cinematheque at the Los Feliz 3

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Wajda Film Centre in Poland, in collaboration with The American Cinematheque, are proud to present six films celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Honorary Oscar awarded to Andrzej Wajda for lifetime achievement. Including 35mm prints of ASHES AND DIAMONDS and KANAŁ, these rarely screened films honor one of the world’s most important artists, whose work, deeply rooted in Polish history, carries a universal message and inspires reflection on values fundamental to every free society, remaining as vital today as at their premieres.

Andrzej Wajda’s work grows from the very core of the Polish experience – from the history, culture, and values that have shaped generations. Wajda came of age in the shadow of World War II, in a world marked by loss, heroism, and the necessity of moral choices. From this burden – and from Poland’s literary, painterly, and theatrical traditions – he built his own unique cinematic language.

His films blended romanticism with pragmatism, rebellion with compromise, memory with a vision of the future. His protagonists – soldiers, workers, artists – had to find their place in the dense web of history, ideology, and personal desires, and faced moral dilemmas that remain strikingly relevant in today’s world of tensions and divisions. Today, in an era of global debates on democracy, human rights, and civic responsibility, his films speak just as powerfully as they did on the day of their premieres.

For American audiences, Wajda’s work offers not only a record of Central and Eastern European history, but above all universal stories of courage, loyalty, and the search for meaning in a world without easy answers. These are values that connect audiences regardless of language or continent – and in the United States, where freedom is the foundation of national identity, they resonate in a particularly profound way. The project ‘Andrzej Wajda. Man of Poland’ is more than a film retrospective – it is an invitation to intercultural dialogue. Thanks to the collaboration between the Wajda Film Centre and the American Cinematheque, audiences in Los Angeles will be able to see both his most famous works and participate in meetings and discussions devoted to the director’s legacy. Each screening will be preceded by a short introduction delivered by experts.

PROGRAM

Friday, September 5, 2025, Friday
American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre
7:30 PM – Ashes and Diamonds / Everything for Sale
Introduction: Artur Zaborski

Saturday, September 6, 2025, Saturday
American Cinematheque at the Los Feliz 3
12:30 PM – Man of Marble
4:00 PM – Man of Iron
Introduction to both screenings: Grzegorz Skorupski

Sunday, September 7, 2025, Sunday
American Cinematheque at the Los Feliz 3
1:00 PM – Kanal
Introduction: Grzegorz Skorupski
Screening as part of American Cinematheque’s “Sunday Print Edition” series, presenting films from 35mm prints
4:00 PM – Katyń
Introduction: Artur Zaborski

An important part of the Andrzej Wajda, Man of Poland project was a panel discussion at Emerson College Los Angeles (SEPTEMBER 4^TH), designed to serve as a guide for viewers who are just getting to know the director and the realities in which his films were made. The meeting began with a presentation of Andrzej Wajda and the historical and cultural background of his work, as well as the characters in his films, entangled in ideological tensions and moral choices, who help viewers understand the contemporary world of clashing ideologies. The discussion also touched upon the influence of American cinema on Wajda's work and how his work inspired directors such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese.

The project ‘25th Anniversary of Andrzej Wajda's Oscar’ is organised by the Wajda Film Centre (Centrum Kultury Filmowej im. Andrzeja Wajdy) https://ckf.waw.pl/en/

Co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund – a state special-purpose fund.

The event is co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.

The event is held under the media patronage of Telewizja Polska.

Partners: American Cinematheque https://www.americancinematheque.com/series/andrzej-wajda-man-of-poland/, Emerson College, Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles, National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute, Documentary and Feature Film Studios (WFDiF)

Media contact
The Wajda Film Centre (Centrum Kultury Filmowej im. Andrzeja Wajdy)
Karol Kwiatkowski
Head of Communication Department
kkwiatkowski@ckf.waw.pl

Source: The Wajda Film Centre in Poland

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