Jerzy Antczak Anniversary

It was a memorable evening: ladies in long dresses, men in elegant hats, and an abundance of white lilies. It was an anniversary fete for Jerzy Antczak, who this year celebrates his 80th birthday, organised by the Polish Filmmakers Association (SFP) and the Polish Film Institute (PISF).

Filmmakers, cultural icons in the arts and media, and famous actors gathered on 1 June in the cinema “Kultura” to pay tribute to Antczak, accompanied by his wife, Jadwiga Barańska.

The freshly renovated cinema was beautifully decorated with white lilies, a reference to a famous scene from Nights and Days (Noce i Dnie). Workers from PISF, wearing original costumes from the film, welcomed the guests.

The ceremonies began with a screening of Moi aktorzy, a collage of scenes from Antczak’s films showing some of his actors’ best performances.

Zenon Butkiewicz from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage read a congratulatory letter by Minister Bogdan Zdrojewski. Best wishes to the actor were also delivered by Agnieszka Odorowicz, General Director of PISF, and Jacek Bromski, President of SFP. Bromski noted that Antczak managed to do something very rare – connect the viewer with a film deeply and truly Polish.

Antczak, visibly moved, thanked the hosts for the evening, reminding them that without their contributions, there could not have been such a meeting of such a group.

More information and photographs may be found at www.sfp.org.pl

Translated by Monika Miziniak | Edited by Patricia Koza