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Essential Polish Animation

“All of cinema is essentially animation” - Walerian Borowczyk

Polish animation, influenced by jazz, poster design and collage, took off in the late 1950s when artists found creative freedom in the wake of Stalin’s death. Pioneering filmmakers like Walerian Borowczyk and Jan Lenica would change the form and usher in a golden age of filmmaking that would enable this art form to be appreciated around the world including winning prestigious international awards at festivals such as Cannes, Annecy, Oberhausen and an Oscar for Rybczyński’s Tango. This collection of 27 films spans the breakthrough works of the late 1950s to the close of the classic era in the 1980s, capturing some of the form’s essential films. 

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES

• High-Definition digital transfers of 27 classic animated films on two discs

• Original uncompressed PCM mono audio

• Audio commentaries on select films by Polish film expert Daniel Bird (2025)

• Visual essay by film historian and Eastern European cinema expert Michael Brooke (2025)
  

• Optional English subtitles

• Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista

• Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by animation expert Karol Szafraniec

• Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

Add any three of our July releases (The Beast to Die, Rosa la rose, fille publique, Essential Polish Animation and Life Is Cheap... But Toilet Paper Is Expensive) to cart to receive 10% off. Discount automatically applied at cart. Ends May 7th.

Year: 1957-86
Country: Poland
Cert: TBC
Format: Blu-ray
Region: ABC
RAD125BDLE
EAN: 5060974682478
Release date: 21/07/25

Complete List of Films

Banner of Youth (Borowczyk, Lenica, 1957)
Love Requited (Borowczyk, Lenica, 1958)
The Changing of the Guard (Halina Bielinska, Wlodzimiez Haupe, 1959)
New Janko the Musician (Jan Lenica, 1960)
A Little Western (Witold Giersz, 1960)
Playthings (Kazimierz Urbanski, 1962)
Labyrinth (Jan Lenica, 1962)
The Chair (Daniel Szczechura, 1963)
The Red and the Black (Witold Giersz, 1964)
Everything is a Number (Stefan Schabenbeck, 1967)
Horse (Witold Giersz, 1967)
Cages (Miroslaw Kijowicz, 1967)
The Stairs  (Stefan Schabenbeck, 1968)
The Son (Ryszard Czekała, 1970)
Journey (Daniel Szczechura (1970)
Roll Call (Ryszard Czekała, 1970)
Road (Miroslaw Kijowicz, 1971)
The Banquet (Zofia Oraczewska)
Barrier (Jerzy Kucia, 1977)
A Hardcore Engaged Film. Non-camera (Julian Józef Antoniszczak, 1979)
Reflections (Jerzy Kucia, 1979)
Tango (Zbigniew Rybczyński, 1980)
Solo in a Fallow Field (Jerzy Kalina, 1981)
The Source (Jerzy Kucia, 1982)
Chips (Jerzy Kucia, 1984)
A Gentle Woman (Piotr Dumała, 1985)
Parade (Jerzy Kucia, 1987)

Selected Awards

The Changing of the Guard - Best Short Film, Cannes Film Festival
Labyrinth - FIPRESCI Prize, Annecy Animated Film Festival
The Chair - Grand Prize, Oberhausen Short Film Festival
The Red and the Black - Best Animated Film, Oberhausen Short Film Festival
Cages - Best Short Film, Oberhausen Short Film Festival
Reflections - Special Jury Award - Annecy Animated Film Festival
Tango - Best Animated Short Film, Academy Awards
A Gentle Woman - Award of Merit, Ottawa Animation Festival
Parade - Main Prize - Oberhausen Short Film Festival