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2 September 2010

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"Beats of Freedom" in cinemas
premiere: March 11, 2010; in cinemas: March 12, 2010
languages: Polski  / English 
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Entrancing documentary about rock music in the age of late Polish People's Republic. The legendary figures of rock underground speak out about their music, life, and the absurds of censorship.

In the time when Communist regime controlled in many ways the lives of Poles, music became a cultural phenomenon of unmatched social impact, a forum of free people. The Iron Curtain couldn't stop the Western music from filtering into the mainstream culture, and it was precisely the music that made people realize their dignity and worth.

From the very beginning, Polish rock opposed the social and political reality of the period. Singing songs was about undermining stereotypes and building closer ties between people. This was evident at Jarocin, Polish biggest rock festival and a real oasis of Polish freedom. It is also shown in the film as some of the atmosphere of the Festival is present in the never before published archival footage.

The documentary features artists from Polish music scene including Marek Niedźwiecki, Krzysztof Skiba, Jurek Owsiak, Kazik Staszewski (Kult), Muniek Staszczyk (T.Love), Kora Jackowska (Maanam) and Tomek Lipiński (Tilt and Brygada Kryzys).


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"Rock was one of the forming forces in my life - now it's the omnipresent element of it. With this film, I wanted to pay tribute to all those who had influenced my perception of the world. I also wanted to remind younger people what this music was all about and maybe what it still can be in the future," says the director Leszek Gnoiński.

"That reality was, in a way, a source of great power, adding up to the overall meaning of the music. However, I was only ten when the Communist regime introduced Marshal Law in Poland so I could hardly understand what these songs where really about. Nevertheless, it's precisely these fascinations that have led me to what I'm doing now; and I think it's crucial that we talk about what we find important to us" - says Wojciech Słota.
The documentary was co-produced by Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
Directors: Leszek Gnoiński and Wojciech Słota.
"Some people have their stories, but some have become legend. This film is about these people. Rock is just as good part of our culture as is good music, poetry, film, and comic books. One cannot bring to light the phenomenon of Polish freedom without talking about the free culture, which was the most significant and popular part of it. Some people were involved in printing underground publications and dropping leaflets, others were busy playing their homemade guitars and constructing homemade amplifiers. And all these people made history," Paweł Potoroczyn, the director of Adam Mickiewicz Institute, was quoted as saying.
Premiere: March 11, 2010, at 8:00 PM, Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw.
In cinemas from March 12, 2010.

The film is accompanied by a double CD-album premiering on March 12, 2010.

  • "Beats of Freedom", Poland 2010; directors and authors of the screenplay: Wojciech Słota, Leszek Gnoiński; narrator: Chris Salewicz; cinematography: Dariusz Szymura, Piotr Trela; Editing: Wojciech Słota; Sound: Marcin Dziuba, Piotr Fede; documentation: Piotr Stachurski; production manager: Grażyna Polańska; executive producer: Judyta Fibiger; producers: Paweł Potoroczyn, Edward Miszczak; production: Adam Mickiewicz Institute, TVN. Film received generous support from Polish Film Institute, director Agnieszka Odorowicz. Duration: 78 min; distribution: ITI Cinema.

Source: press release

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