5 chapters of a documentary guide to understanding the history, culture and character of Polish society today through various aspects of everyday life

Guide to the Poles welcomes viewers into a remarkable cinematic journey into the roots of the contemporary phenomenon of freedom and creativity in Poland. In spite of prevailing stereotypes, the socialist era in Poland was not just about oppression, poverty and subjection. It was just as much a time of attaining tenable freedoms in unexpected areas of life.

When politics, family and religion didn't bring any hope to young Polish people, they found it in rock music - with a force that was as unanticipated as it was indomitable. Directed by Leszek Gnoiński and Wojciech Słota, Beats of Freedom is the first installment in the series. The film tells the story of rock music during the Communist era in the People's Republic of Poland through the eyes of Chris Salewicz, a British journalist of Polish heritage.

When Polish people were cut off from fashionable clothing, they did everything to avoid looking dull and uniform, in spite of the fact that there was little money, materials or stylish shops. Political Dress shows how bright colours and home-made tailoring can serve as a personal weapon against an oppressive political regime

When Poles were getting crammed into stiff political and religious structures, they knew how to find spontaneous enjoyment in the more intimate realms of life. Sometimes with the help of a Haitian voodoo priest. Art of Disappearing examines the more intimate aspects of freedom during a time of political oppression.

When Poles weren't allowed access to passports or travel, a certain group of passionate mountain climbers overcame all obstacles and managed to conquer the highest peaks in the Himalayas. They were among the best in the world. Art of Freedom answers the most poignant questions on the phenomenon of Polish Himalaism in the '70s and '80s.

When the youngest members of society had no toys to play with, they made their own with the help of a television host who shared his McGyveresque ability to create something interesting from virtually anything. What has a greater impact on a child's development - a room full of expensive toys or perhaps no toys at all? Is a child's imagination stimulated to a greater extent by complex electronic inventions or, rather, a simple radio receiver the child has made on his or her own? Toys takes a look at the circumstances which shaped the imaginations of today's generation of Polish artists and designers. 

The five films come together as a charming and witty foray into the complex circumstances of the past that have shaped many aspects of the contemporary Polish character. Today's Polish artists are recognised around the world for their creativity and breadth of perspectives - the fruit, perhaps, of a long-running struggle for political and social independence.

Read more on the Guide to the Poles series...