Polish

The Decalogue (Special Edition Complete Set)

Superlatives abound when describing Krzysztof Kieslowski's The Decalogue, a series of 10 one-hour dramas originally made for Polish TV between 1988 and 1989 and seen throughout the world in film festivals and cinematheque and museum programs. Though each episode is inspired by one of the Ten Commandments of the Bible, these are not Sunday school fables illustrating some simplistic moral lesson--the connections to the individual commandments are not always obvious and are often downright curious--but powerful, profound stories of love and loss, faith and fear. Kieslowski explores ordinary people flailing through inner torments, hard decisions, and shattering revelations, grounding his stories in the faces of their deeply human characters.

Each episode is self-contained, from "Decalogue I" ("I Am the Lord Thy God"), the touching story of a boy who starts asking the hard questions of life from his rationalist father and religious aunt, to "Decalogue X" ("Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Goods"), a comic tale of estranged brothers who bond through a winding ordeal involving their father's priceless stamp collection. There are stories of tragedy and triumph, both expansive and intimate, some profoundly moving and others delicately shaded--but all are warmed by Kieslowski's sympathetic direction and his eye for resonant, fragile imagery. Initially drawn together by location--the series is set in a dreary Warsaw apartment complex--a web of associations forms as characters pass through other stories, sometimes only briefly, and themes reverberate through the series. The Decalogue is ultimately a personal spiritual investigation into the soul of man, a work of quiet attention and deep emotion marked by astounding images and vivid characters. Each volume is also available individually on VHS. --Sean Axmaker

The Decalogue Special Edition is a three-disc set with exclusive special features. Disc 1 begins with "Roger Ebert on The Decalogue," a special appreciation by America's best-known film critic. Episodes 1, 2, and 3 of The Decaloguefollow. Disc 2 Includes Episodes 4, 5, 6, and 7. Disc 3 completes the series with Episodes 8, 9, and 10, and rounds out the experience with three documentaries about director Krzysztof Kieslowski. "On the Set of The Decalogue" us a brief interview with the director; "Kieslowski Meets the Press" is an extensive Q&A between Kieslowski and the European press; and in "Kieslowski Known and Unknown," friends and colleagues offer tributes and insights on the famed director. A printed booklet included with The Decalogue Special Edition DVDcontains an introduction to The Decalogueby Kieslowski, an interview with the script writer Krzysztof Piesiewicz, and complete casts and credits.

Stealth

An Emotional and Joyous Journey of Self Discovery

Directed by Lionel Baier (Garçon Stupide) this sweet, oddball story shuffles between sex, family love and adventure with comedic grace.
From all outward appearances, Lionel is a happy gay man with a great career and a modern, open minded, family who accepts his devoted lover Serge as one of their own.
Then Lionel discovers he has Polish ancestors. Suddenly he's immersing himself in all things Polish: food, language, etc. Things really heat up when he meets a pretty Polish immigrant facing deportation and decides to marry her.
Taking charge, Lucy (Lionel's sister) "borrows" Lionel's company car for a road trip to Poland to discover the family roots. Once there, Lionel rediscovers his homosexuality with the handsome Polish boy, Stan, and along the way he finds the true meaning of family.

The Double Life of Veronique - Criterion Collection

Krzysztof Kieslowski's international breakthrough remains one of his most beloved films a ravishing mysterious rumination on identity love and human intuition. Irene Jacob is incandescent as both Weronika a Polish choir soprano and her double Veronique a French music teacher. Though unknown to each other the two women share an enigmatic purely emotional bond which Kieslowski details in gorgeous reflections colors and movements. Aided by Slawomir Idziak's shimmering cinematography and Zbigniew Preisner's haunting operatic score Kieslowski creates one of cinema's most purely metaphysical works; The Double Life of Veronique is an unforgettable symphony of feeling.Special Features:New restored high-definition digital transferAudio commentary by film scholar Annette InsdorfThree short documentary films by Kieslowski"Kieslowski - Dialogue" documentary with behind-the-scenes footage2005 documentary "1966 -- 1988: Kieslowski Polish Filmmaker"A 2005 interview with actress Irene JacobNew video interview with cinematographer Slawomir IdziakNew video interview with composer Zbigniew Preisner"The Musicians" (1958) a short film by Kieslowski's teacher Kazimierz KarabaszNew and improved English subtitle translationNew essays by Jonathan Romney Slavoj Zizek and Peter CowieSystem Requirements:Running Time: 97 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 715515020725 Manufacturer No: CC1657DDVD

Pornografia

Two Warsaw intellectuals wait out World War II on a remote farm philosophizing about the need to corrupt youth. The middle-aged anti-heroes explore their twisted dreams and scheme to control the lives of a farmhand and a farmer's beautiful young daughter as German soldiers fight the Polish resistance just steps away. Beautiful cinematography and strong engaging performances make this film a mysterious and dark Polish classic. Co-written by long-time Roman Polanski collaborator Gerard Brach from a novel by Witold Gombrowicz. In Polish with English subtitles.System Requirements:Running Time 152 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 670541002049 Manufacturer No: DV88505

Faustina

DVD includes optional Spanish-language subtitles - In 2000, Sister Faustina was canonized as the first saint of the new millennium. This stirring and evocative film depicts her life, from her girlhood through miraculous healings and her evolution within the Catholic church - based on Sister Faustina's own recordings in her spiritual diary. This is a film about a religious character facing the complexities of human life and the impenetrable mysteries of faith.

The Krzysztof Kieslowski Collection (A Short Film About Love/Blind Chance/Camera Buff/No End/The Scar/A Short Film About Killing)

Knife in the Water - Criterion Collection

This simple but taut psychological thriller was the first full-length film from the great director Roman Polanski. A bickering couple pick up a hitchhiker, a good-looking young man whom they invite to go for a sail. But on the water the two men, separated by age, class, and experience, subtly and not-so-subtly jockey for status and fight for the attentions of the woman--a struggle that threatens to turn fatal. In Polanski's hands, this lean, spare movie, without any special effects or spectacular scenery, manages to lay bare the driving forces of machismo, envy, and marital spite. It's the beginning of a truly remarkable career that's ranged from the heights of Rosemary's Baby and Chinatown to the more dubious realms of Bitter Moon and The Ninth Gate. Knife in the Water is particularly significant to Polanski fans, but also a striking movie in its own right. --Bret Fetzer

Promised Land (Director's Cut)

Andrzej Wajda's interpretation of a classic 19th century epic depicts the sweeping change in values ushered in by the industrial revolution. Three friends hope to build a factory, but their plans are quickly jeopardized by local politics and one of the partner's dangerous love affair. Critically acclaimed for its masterful direction and fine acting, this ever-current film has a strong statement to make about modern times. With the master director's brand new re-edit made possible by Poland's liberation from Communism. In Polish w/ English Subtitles

The Double Life of Veronique

Two women...complete strangers but strangely linked to each other... Renowned director Krzysztof Kieslowski (Three Colors: Red White and Blue) confirmed his reputation as one of cinema's visionary filmmakers with this beautifully poetic elegantly mysterious film that ponders the nature of intuition and the metaphysical connections between people. Irene Jacob lights up the screen as both Veronika a deeply spiritual Polish soprano and her double Veronique a more earthy French music teacher. Each senses the other and is affected by each other's experiences though they have no idea of the other's existence. Aided by a haunting operatic score The Double Life of Veronique is a mesmerizing masterpiece of filmmaking. System Requirements:Running Time: 97 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: FOREIGN/FRENCH Rating: R UPC: 014381314021 Manufacturer No: HVE3140DVD

Landscape After Battle

With its breathtaking cinematography, this Andrzej Wajda films is a romantic yet fatalistic fable of budding love and the war that would not end. Based on Tadeusz Borowski's stories of a German stalag curiously unchanged even after its liberation by the American army, the film tells a powerful love story between two Poles at the end of World War II and portrays the destructive effects of war on the human spirit. When Tadeusz, a sensitive Pole who is fascinated with literature, meets Nina, a girl visiting the war camp, he realizes that he will have to begin his life over again.