A moving biopic of Lech Walesa – from dockworker to national resistance hero and president of Poland. Aged 88, the veteran Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda received a standing ovation at the 70th Venice Film Festival and was awarded the Persol Award for his oeuvre. He is one of the most powerful chroniclers of post-war Poland. Walesa, Man of Hope is a classical but vibrantly acted biography of the electrician and trade union leader Lech Walesa, who rose to prominence as the spokesman of the Solidarity Movement at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk. He unleashed a quiet and later vociferous revolution against the Communist regime. For his efforts on behalf of Polish workers, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 and from 1990 to 1995 he was Poland’s first democratically elected president.
Director Wajda has structured the film around an interview that Walesa gave to the notorious Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci. Archive footage of strikes, food shortages, protests and Walesa’s visit to Pope John Paul II illustrate the major events that were happening. In addition, Wajda paints an intimate picture of what was going on behind the doors of the cramped apartment where Walesa was living with his wife Danuta and their ever-growing family. On several occasions, Walesa was imprisoned by the regime. Dealing with this uncertain and chaotic life, Danuta became the no less strong woman behind the strong man Walesa. (CF)
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.