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1944 Warsaw Uprising: Presentation and Panel Discussion


with Jan Komasa, director of the film Warsaw 44


Wednesday, November 4, 12:00 pm
Gamble Room, Rush-Rhees Library, UR River Campus




The 1944 Warsaw Uprising was the largest single military effort undertaken by any European resistance movement during World War II. Expecting help to arrive from the Red Army, which had reached the eastern outskirts of Warsaw, insurgents fought a doomed battle against German forces as Stalin’s forces failed to advance. During the fighting, which lasted 63 days, some 16,000 Polish soldiers were killed or went missing, 20,000 were wounded and 15,000 were taken prisoner. As a result of air raids and artillery shelling as well as harsh living conditions and massacres staged by German troops, between 150,000 and 200,000 civilians died, and Warsaw was completely destroyed.


Warsaw 44, one of the biggest and most eagerly awaited Polish movie productions in recent years, is set during the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. The film is a riveting historical spectacle, full of emotion and brilliantly staged combat scenes. It will be screened as a part of 2015 Polish Film Festival on November 5, 7:00 pm at the Little Theatre.


Jan Komasa will discuss his research for the film production. He based his screenplay on historical memory; he developed the characters after reading thousands of soldiers’ memoirs, letters and biographies. After spending eight years raising the 24-million dollar film budget, he employed 10 film crews, over 3,000 extras, and 5,000 tons of rubble to recreate a city destroyed by war. He will be joined by panelists Randall Stone, Professor of Political Science, and Matthew Lenoe, Associate Professor of History and Department Chair.


Lunch will be provided. For lunch reservations contact the Skalny Center: tel. (585) 275-9898 or e-mail: bozenna.sobolewska@rochester.edu, by October 26.


The event is sponsored by the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies and the Department of History at the University of Rochester.