11-10-2011

PRODCUTION: Łukasz Barczyk to Direct Historical Polish Film

By Katarzyna Grynienko

    POZNAN: Łukasz Barczyk has been selected by the Marshal Office of the Great Poland region to direct a film about the Great Polish Uprising, the most successful of Polish insurrections. The major historical drama will be completed before December 2013.

    A special jury headed by Grażyna Torbicka chose Łukasz Barczyk's written story, Hiszpanka. The Polish screenwriter and filmmaker will produce a script and direct a film based on his winning novel. "The strength of this project is in its drama and action-crime elements. It also contains parts that will be attractive not only to the local community of the region," said Torbicka said at the announcement of the verdict.

    Barczyk is an accomplished Polish film director and screenwriter most recognized for his award-winning film Changes and highly praised for his new work Italians, a drama that deals with painful events in Polish history.The Great Poland Uprising started on 27 December 1918 and was the biggest insurrection for independence under the German annexation, ending in success. The Polish uprising army freed almost all the Great Poland region from occupation.The film about the uprising is planned to be completed for December 2013 to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the event. The Marshal's Office announced that the budget of the project is 20 million PLN (EUR 4.5 million), half of which will be co-financed by the local authorities, the Polish Ministry Of Culture (www.mkidn.gov.pl) and the Polish Film Institute (www.pisf.pl) while the other half will be provided by sponsors. The production company has not yet been announced.