Andrzej Wajda Centennial

April 24–June 29

To mark the centennial of Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda (1926–2016) — and the “Year of Andrzej Wajda” in Poland — AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center celebrates his visionary work with a selection of nine films from across his more than six-decade career. Over the course of more than 40 features, Wajda became one of cinema’s most vital chroniclers of Polish history, while also exploring universal themes — political repression, resistance and the role of artists in speaking truth to power — that saw the impact of his work expand beyond Poland to influence filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese. Wajda captured audiences across the globe, receiving a Palme d’Or and honorary awards from the Oscars®, the Venice Film Festival and the Berlinale. Beginning with Wajda’s landmark War Trilogy — A GENERATION (1955), KANAL (1957) and ASHES AND DIAMONDS (1958) — this series also includes the incisive critiques of state power MAN OF MARBLE (1977) and MAN OF IRON (1981), as well as lesser-known gems, such as the Nouvelle Vague-inspired INNOCENT SORCERERS (1960), and later works, including KORCZAK (1990) and AFTERIMAGE (2016), his final film. Additional films will be presented at the National Gallery of Art later this year.

Presented in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, DC, the Wajda Film Center and the National Gallery of Art.

Special thanks to DI Factory, Jędrzej Sabliński and Jessica Rosner.