Once There Was History ... Andrzej Wajda at 100
Once There Was History ... Andrzej Wajda at 100 is a retrospective marking the centenary of Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda. Presented at the Harvard Film Archive, the series surveys six decades of his work, from his World War II trilogy and early experiments with cinematic modernism to his politically charged films of the 1970s and later literary and historical dramas.
Wajda’s cinema is closely tied to Poland’s modern history. Born in 1926, he experienced the disruption of World War II, served as a courier for the anti-fascist and anti-communist Home Army, and lost his father, who was executed by the Soviet NKVD in 1940. Before turning to film, Wajda studied painting and sculpture. His films repeatedly examine resistance, political repression, workers’ movements, national mythology, class, and the changing ways people understand their collective past. The retrospective also reflects his work as a theater director, his interest in Japanese culture, and his role in founding Film Unit X, a production cooperative that supported major Polish filmmakers and films during the 1970s.
When: November 21–December 14
Showtimes: Saturday, November 21: *Ashes and Diamonds* at 7:00 p.m., followed by *A Generation* at 9:15 p.m.; Sunday, November 22: *Innocent Sorcerers* at 3:00 p.m.; Monday, November 23: *Kanał* at 7:00 p.m.; Friday, November 27: *The Promised Land* at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, November 28: *Man of Marble* at 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, November 29: *Wałęsa: Man of Hope* at 3:00 p.m.; Monday, November 30: *Man of Iron* at 7:00 p.m.; Monday, December 7: *The Conductor* at 7:00 p.m.; Friday, December 11: *Without Anesthesia*, also known as *Rough Treatment*, at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, December 12: *The Ashes* at 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, December 13: *Pan Tadeusz*, also known as *The Last Days*, at 3:00 p.m.; and Monday, December 14: *Ashes and Diamonds* at 7:00 p.m.
Lineup: The films are *Ashes and Diamonds* (1958), *A Generation* (1955), *Innocent Sorcerers* (1960), *Kanał* (1957), *The Promised Land* (1975), *Man of Marble* (1977), *Wałęsa: Man of Hope* (2013), *Man of Iron* (1981), *The Conductor* (1980), *Without Anesthesia* (1978), *The Ashes* (1965), and *Pan Tadeusz* (1999). All are directed by Andrzej Wajda.
Featured themes: The program includes Wajda’s complete early trilogy about World War II resistance—*A Generation*, *Kanał*, and *Ashes and Diamonds*—as well as literary adaptations, period dramas, and films associated with Poland’s “cinema of moral concern.” *Man of Marble* and *Man of Iron*, later complemented by *Wałęsa: Man of Hope*, confront Stalinist repression, labor unrest, and political struggle. *The Promised Land*, *The Ashes*, and *Pan Tadeusz* explore Polish history and literature through large-scale visual design and historical spectacle, while *Innocent Sorcerers* captures a changing Warsaw with a more modern, experimental sensibility.
Screening format: *Kanał*, *Man of Iron*, *Pan Tadeusz*, and the November 27 screening of *The Promised Land* are identified as screenings on film.
Venue: Harvard Film Archive
Tickets: Price not available
Run time: Not provided.
Age guidance: Not provided.
Accessibility: No accessibility information is provided.
Note: The United States screenings in 2026 are part of the Wajda 100 Tour – North America, organized by DI Factory with financial support from the Polish Film Institute.