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ETHAN CHAN casts a critical eye on the recently released film Gierek - a confusing cinematic story about the controversial communist leader of Poland of the 1970s
BLURRED VISION: (L to R) Gierek among workers, in the film, and in real life conversing with council house builders in 1975
[B/W image Bronisław Duda/Wikipedia]
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GIEREK, a film just released in Britain by Michal Wegrzyn, is a biographical feature covering the life and deeds of first secretary of the Polish United Workers Party (PZPR) Edward Gierek through the decade of the1970s.
The end of the 1960s was momentous time for the Polish People’s Republic as it tried to overcome political and economic stagnation and workers’ protest. Gierek was elected first secretary – ie head of the ruling party – to lead a revival.
Oddly for a film which covers that period of Polish history, General Wojciech Jaruzelski does not appear by name, although “the General” (Antoni Pawlicki) wearing large sunglasses does, a case perhaps of very-similar-but-legally-distinct.
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