Confronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s film

Confronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s film Historical films are important carriers of collective memory, and as a genre historical films can activate both strong feelings and strong debate. Historical fiction films often tell very accurate and almost documentary stories, but...

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Main Author: Ib Bondebjerg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Adam Mickiewicz University Press 2012-06-01
Series:Images
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/i/article/view/3486
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author Ib Bondebjerg
author_facet Ib Bondebjerg
author_sort Ib Bondebjerg
collection DOAJ
description Confronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s film Historical films are important carriers of collective memory, and as a genre historical films can activate both strong feelings and strong debate. Historical fiction films often tell very accurate and almost documentary stories, but fictional films have the freedom to make historical reality in quite another way than factual historical films. This article deals with some of the most important historical film genres and uses a general theory of genres, emotions, memory and history to analyse the historical films of Polish film director Andrzej Wajda, especially those made post 1989. Dealing with both his heritage drama Pan Tadeusz (1999) and critical historical drama Katyń (2007), the article analyses the ways in which Wajda uses historical narratives to comment on both history and contemporary society, and how this strategy is reflected in all his historical films. The article argues that the traumatic and contrast-filled history of Poland makes historical films especially important and interesting as a critical part of public debate and the reframing and reinterpretation of the past.
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publishDate 2012-06-01
publisher Adam Mickiewicz University Press
record_format Article
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spelling doaj-art-62b3b1cd7c4844d4905cc39b9bbfe2c62025-08-20T03:52:52ZengAdam Mickiewicz University PressImages1731-450X2720-040X2012-06-01112010.14746/i.2012.20.03Confronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s filmIb Bondebjerg0Instytut Mediów, Procesów Poznania i Komunikacji, Uniwersytet w Kopenhadze Confronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s film Historical films are important carriers of collective memory, and as a genre historical films can activate both strong feelings and strong debate. Historical fiction films often tell very accurate and almost documentary stories, but fictional films have the freedom to make historical reality in quite another way than factual historical films. This article deals with some of the most important historical film genres and uses a general theory of genres, emotions, memory and history to analyse the historical films of Polish film director Andrzej Wajda, especially those made post 1989. Dealing with both his heritage drama Pan Tadeusz (1999) and critical historical drama Katyń (2007), the article analyses the ways in which Wajda uses historical narratives to comment on both history and contemporary society, and how this strategy is reflected in all his historical films. The article argues that the traumatic and contrast-filled history of Poland makes historical films especially important and interesting as a critical part of public debate and the reframing and reinterpretation of the past. https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/i/article/view/3486historical filmsheritage filmPolish cinemaAndrzej Wajdamemory
spellingShingle Ib Bondebjerg
Confronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s film
Images
historical films
heritage film
Polish cinema
Andrzej Wajda
memory
title Confronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s film
title_full Confronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s film
title_fullStr Confronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s film
title_full_unstemmed Confronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s film
title_short Confronting the Past. Trauma, History and Memory in Wajda’s film
title_sort confronting the past trauma history and memory in wajda s film
topic historical films
heritage film
Polish cinema
Andrzej Wajda
memory
url https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/i/article/view/3486
work_keys_str_mv AT ibbondebjerg confrontingthepasttraumahistoryandmemoryinwajdasfilm