"Beats of Freedom" tells the story of rock music during the Communist era in the People's Republic of Poland as seen through the eyes of Chris Salewicz, a British journalist of Polish roots. It's a film about the sound that gave people a dose of freedom, about one of few aspects of everyday life that gave a bit of elbow room in an otherwise constrained society.

The narrative traces several plots, beginning with Chris Salewicz's meeting with three individuals who were essential to the burgeoning rock music scene. Tomek Lipiński, frontman for Tilt and Brygada Kryzys, manager and journalist Piotr Nagłowski, and photographer and historian Mirek Makowski. The three recounted their stories about the meaning behind the music of those times, along with descriptions of what Poland was like life for the everyday man - all against the background of the history of the past half century. Live radio broadcasts. such as the famous "Zapraszamy do Trójki" series on Channel 3 Radio, along with interviews with local rock stars, producers, personalities and opposition leaders - Kora, Kazik Staszewski, Lech Janerka, Krzysztof Grabowski, Jarek Janiszewski, Marek Niedźwiecki, Walter Chełstowski and Arkadiusz Rybicki. The film's most colourful images come from scenes at the rock festival in Jarocin - an enclave of freedom and expression unto itself. The final touch comes from striking original footage gathered from IPN, NTV, Czółówka, the National Film Institute and personal archives. And the most important element of all - Polish rock music.

Brygada Kryzys, Photo: Michał Wasążnik

It turned out that the "Iron Curtain" wasn't quite as impenetrable as the authorities would have hoped and a number of major acts new to the international scene made their way over from the west. Legendary bands took the stage in Warsaw and Jarocin, such as The Rolling Stones, who played two concerts in April 1967 at the Palace of Culture's Congressional Hall - an event that became fixed in the collective musical memory for many decades following. The venue itself - an unwelcome gift from the Soviet Union - was inscribed into Rock-n-Roll folklore, taking on a more favourable aspect as its negative associations were counterbalanced by symbols of a subtly shifting reality. The venue also served as the setting for the official premiere of the film on March 11, 2010, which followed several months of screenings in Poland and around the world. It continued to be shown at various festivals through the end of 2010 across Europe and the United States.

According to director Wojciech Słota the film aims to "show how the vital twists and turns of the contemporary history of Poland left an impression on both the music and its message. It all becomes quite clear when these two worlds - of politics and of rock music - are "layered" onto each other". The music took on a very significant meaning for its generation, becoming the voice of a silent generation who found respite in records and festivals like Jarocin, which allowed them to enjoy a taste of freedom.

The film was produced with the support of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Screenplay and direction: Leszek Gnoiński and Wojciech Słota .

Source: press materials