"The Birthday"
1980
Directed by Ewa & Czesaw Petelski

An innovative story structure distinguishes this emotional Polish drama about a young man (Piotr Lysak) who grows to manhood during World War II. The film covers four days in his life - his birthday in the years 1938, 1939, 1943, and 1944. At first, he has plans to study at the Sorbonne but by the end of the war, he has joined the resistance and is taking part in the Warsaw Uprising. Czeslaw Petelski depicts a tumultuous event in Polish history with the precision and tautness of his classic Depot of the Dead. Polish with optional English subtitles. 96 minutes.