Ashes and Diamonds

Andrzej Wajda’s 1958 Polish film *Ashes and Diamonds* follows anti-Communist Home Army insurgents on May 8, 1945, Victory Day in Europe. After the Red Army has driven the German occupiers from Poland, the fighters pursue a doomed underground mission against the incoming Soviet order. The film adapts Jerzy Andrzejewski’s 1948 novel and examines national myth, political resistance, belief, and the difficulty of choosing a course of action amid defeat.

Zbigniew Cybulski gives a volatile, charismatic performance as Maciek, while Jerzy Wójcik’s stark black-and-white cinematography intensifies Wajda’s tragic vision. Rich in Christian symbolism, the film is regarded as one of the major works of the Polish Film School and a landmark of modern Polish cinema.

When: November 21 and December 14, 2026

Showtimes: 7:00 pm on both dates

Director: Andrzej Wajda

Cast: Zbigniew Cybulski, Ewa Krzyżewska, and Wacław Zastrzeżyński

Country and year: Poland, 1958

Run time: 103 minutes

Format: DCP, black and white

Language: Polish with English subtitles

DCP source: Jessica Rosner

Venue: Harvard Film Archive

Series: Part of *Once There Was History ... Andrzej Wajda at 100*

Tickets: Price not available