3, 2, 1... action! Polish cinema up and rolling again

3, 2, 1... action! Polish cinema up and rolling again

An Oscar in Hollywood, a Silver Bear in Berlin and a public that is returning to theatres in droves after more than a few dismal years: Polish cinema is back. The revival comes in large measure thanks to a savvy system of film financing forged a decade ago to capitalise on the explosive growth of Poland's audiovisual market after communism's demise. "While receiving the Silver Bear, I thought to myself that we're witnessing a great era in Polish cinema," said 42-year-old Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska, known for her film "Elles" starring Juliette Binoche. It was the third Silver Bear win in the history of Polish cinema, after those won by directors Krzysztof Kieslowski and Roman Polanski, in 1994 and 2010 respectively.