Dear Friends of Polish Cinema,
This year’s 20th New York Polish Film Festival is proud to present a powerful cinematic tribute to one of the greatest directors of our time—Andrzej Wajda.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of Wajda’s Honorary Oscar® for Lifetime Achievement, NYPFF 2025 will showcase six of his most essential works, spanning over five decades of visionary filmmaking.
The Andrzej Wajda Retrospective Lineup:
- Kanał (1957)
- Ashes and Diamonds / Popiół i diament (1958)
- Everything for Sale / Wszystko na sprzedaż (1969)
- The Promised Land / Ziemia obiecana (1975)
- Katyń (2007)
- Man of Iron / Człowiek z żelaza (1981)
Each screening will be introduced by Prof. Annette Insdorf (Columbia University) or Dr. Rafał Syska (Jagiellonian University & Wajda Film Centre)—providing rare insight into the director’s creative, cultural, and political legacy.
Don’t miss our Opening Night Panel on Films by Andrzej Wajda, featuring Insdorf and Syska in conversation at Scandinavia House on Tuesday, May 27.
Then join us on Wednesday, May 28 at the DGA Theater, where Martin Scorsese will open the festival with remarks ahead of Ashes and Diamonds.
May 27–31, 2025
Scandinavia House & DGA Theater, NYC
Box Office Now Open → https://nypff.com
This year’s retrospective is presented in close collaboration with the Wajda Film Centre, with support from the Ministry of Culture of Poland and our many cultural partners.
Whether you’re rediscovering these films or seeing them for the first time, Wajda’s work remains as urgent, human, and cinematic as ever. We can’t wait to share it with you.
Warmly,
Hanna
New York Polish Film Festival Director
During the final days of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, a group of resistance fighters is forced underground into the city’s vast sewer system. As they navigate the pitch-black maze, each character is pushed to the brink physically, emotionally, and morally. A haunting meditation on hopelessness, heroism, and the psychological trauma of war.
TUE · MAY 27 · 6PM · SCANDINAVIA HOUSE
RUN TIME: 1h 31min
Set on the final day of World War II, Ashes and Diamonds follows Maciek, a young resistance assassin tasked with eliminating a Communist leader. But after a chance romantic encounter, Maciek begins to question the meaning of his mission and of his life. Caught between the ashes of war and the uncertain promise of peace, he becomes a tragic symbol of Poland’s moral and political crossroads.
WED · MAY 28 · 7:15PM · DGA Theater
RUN TIME: 1h 43min
Introduction by Martin Scorsese
When a famous actor mysteriously vanishes, a film director begins shooting a movie about his disappearance. Blending documentary-style realism with fictionalized drama, the line between art and life begins to blur. Friends, lovers, and collaborators grapple with grief and guilt, revealing their own desires and insecurities
THU · MAY 29 · 6:15PM
SCANDINAVIA HOUSE
RUN TIME: 1h 45min
In the ruthless industrial city of Lodz at the turn of the 20th century, three friends Polish, Jewish, and German dream of building a factory that will bring them unimaginable wealth. But in chasing success, they are drawn into a world of exploitation, betrayal, and moral decay.
THU · MAY 29 · 8:15PM
SCANDINAVIA HOUSE
RUN TIME: 2h 15min
Wajda confronts one of Poland’s deepest wounds: the 1940 Katyn massacre. Told through the eyes of the victims’ families, the film examines the human cost of historical lies and political erasure.
FRI · MAY 30 · 6:15PM
SCANDINAVIA HOUSE
RUN TIME: 2h 01min
A journalist investigating a striking shipyard worker becomes entangled in the story of Poland’s Solidarity movement. Through interviews and flashbacks, he confronts his own complicity and conscience.
SAT · MAY 31 · 1:30PM
SCANDINAVIA HOUSE
RUN TIME: 2h 26min