Krzysztof Kieslowski Documentaries
Fri 13 MarTo mark the 30th anniversary of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s passing on 13 March, Kinoteka is partnering with Cine Lumière for a special tribute to the great filmmaker, who worked both in Poland and France. The programme features a selection of his early documentary shorts.
This series of short documentaries is part of the strand Tribute to Krzysztof Kieslowski (read more below)
Introduction
Screening introduced by Witold Stok who did the cinematography of many Kieslowski documentaries
Programme
- Talking Heads (Gadające głowy)
1980, 16 mins
Kieślowski interviews a cross-section of Polish people—ranging from infants to centenarians—posing questions such as “When were you born?”, “Who are you?”, and “What do you most wish for?” Their responses form a mosaic of hopes, identities, and concerns, creating a living portrait of Polish society at a moment of social and political tension.
- From a Night Porter’s Point of View (Z punktu widzenia nocnego portiera)
1977, 17 mins
Marian Osuch, a factory night porter, delivers an unsettlingly frank account of his life and worldview. Much of the film follows him at work as he explains his strict belief in order, rules, and the enforcement of authority, including support for harsh punishments and suppression of dissent.
- Seven Women of Different Ages
1979, 16 mins
A poetic portrait of seven ballet dancers at different stages of their dance life: each vignette observes the women in rehearsal and performance, forming a meditation on aging, aspiration, discipline, and the passage of time as expressed through the demanding art of classical dance.
- Hospital (Szpital)
1977, 21 mins
Filmed in the emergency department of a Warsaw hospital, this cinéma-vérité piece captures the relentless pace of medical work—from briefings to night shifts—without voice-over commentary. The camera observes doctors and patients in tense, sometimes darkly humorous situations, revealing the pressures of care under demanding conditions and offering a gritty, humanist glimpse into everyday hospital life in Communist Poland.
- Refrain (Refren)
1972, 10 mins
One of Kieślowski’s early non-fiction shorts, Refrain juxtaposes images of bureaucracy at work with the ritual of a funeral and the continuation of paperwork afterward. In doing so, the film reflects on the mechanical persistence of institutional routines and how everyday systems persist even in the face of human loss
Tribute to Krzysztof Kieslowski
To mark the 30th anniversary of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s passing on 13 March, Kinoteka is partnering with Ciné Lumière for a special tribute to the great filmmaker, who worked both in Poland and France. The programme features his early documentary shorts alongside landmark feature films, including a special screening of A Short Film about Love followed by a conversation with the revered actor Grażyna Szapołowska and a film by the Quay Brothers reflecting on Kieslowski’s artistry and impact on cinema
Audiences will have a chance to take part in the world premiere of Call Kieslowski, an innovative AI project that allows attendees to engage in conversation with the filmmaker. In addition, up-and-coming media and film students will reinterpret, together with the audience, Kieślowski’s iconic documentary Talking Heads.
As we embrace cinema & AI to reconnect with Kieślowski, we promise this to be an extraordinary celebration of a filmmaker fascinated by both humanity and innovation.
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The Double Life of Véronique + Kieslowski by The Quay Brothers
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