The cinema of moral anxiety in Poland – Warsaw, Iluzjon Cinema

Fact of the Polish figure „Man of Marble (1977)„

Part of the „Culture against communism„ topic

The cinema of moral anxiety is a trend in Polish cinema, which appeared in the second half of the 1970s. During this time, film-makers began to take on social, political and moral issues, critically relating to the reality of the Polish Republic. Films from this trend showed problems related to corruption, social injustice, opportunism, and conformity.

Through their films, directors such as Krzysztof Kieslowski, Andrzej Wajda, Agnieszka Holland, and Krzysztof Zanussi, through their films posed questions about ethics, moral values and the meaning of human action in difficult times. Titles such as “Man of Marble” (1976), “Without Anaesthesia” (1978), or “Amateur” (1979) became classics of this trend, which played an important role in shaping the social consciousness of Poles. The introduction of martial law in Poland in 1981 abruptly halted the development of the trend.