Polish Working Women Shorts

Description

The association Loreley Films, founded in 2024 in Basel, creates visibility for European female directors of the 20th century and brings their documentaries into dialogue with filmmakers, themes, and trends of the present. In cooperation with the Stadtkino Basel and the Basel network "Who writes his_tory?", Loreley Films is hosting a Wikipedia writing workshop in the foyer of the Stadtkino Basel. Together, biographies of female filmmakers will be written and supplemented – with a special focus on Polish directors featured in the short film program. Polish Working Women Shorts Loreley Films invites you to discover short films by Polish directors (such as Helena Amiradżibi or Krystyna Gryczełowska) from the 1960s to the 1980s. Reflecting on the theme "Labouring Bodies", which the exhibition at the Museum Tinguely examines, the program highlights the working conditions of women in Poland during that time and shows how they organized, expressed solidarity, and found paths to emancipation. The program, curated with Weronika Adamowska (Warsaw), will be accompanied and contextualized by Charlotte Ducos. Guest speaker is Swiss director Beatrice Minger ([E.1027 - Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea], 2024), who will share her perspective on the films as a starting point for discussion: How do the films speak to us today? Partners: Festival HER Docs, Lodz Film School, WFDiF, Krakow Film Festival, Wikimedia CH. Sat 17.10., 14:00 Wikipedia Workshop in Stadtkino Foyer With the support of Wikimedia CH Sat 17.10., 18:00 Film screening at Stadtkino Basel Beatrice Minger After studying film science, German studies, and history, Swiss filmmaker Beatrice Minger directed short films and video clips that have been shown at international short film festivals. Her documentary E1027 EILEEN GRAY AND THE HOUSE BY THE SEA premiered at the Copenhagen Festival CPH:DOX 2024 and has traveled to other festivals. She is preparing her first feature film UNDERCURRENTS. The association Loreley Films, founded in Basel in 2024, creates visibility for European female directors of the 20th century and their films in the documentary field and offers a bridge to contemporary female directors. Film program: Beginning (Początek) dir. Dorota Kędzierzawska (1983, 6') In a Polish textile factory, a woman's day unfolds amidst steel, threads, and noise – until the end of her shift reveals the human costs of a life dictated by work. The Girls from ‘Nawojka’ dir. Maria Kwiatkowska (1963, 14’) This short and light-hearted observational film about students provides insight into both the accommodation and the perspectives of young women studying philosophy and law in Krakow. 24 Hours of Jadwiga L. dir. Krystyna Gryczełowska (1967, 14') 24 hours in the life of a woman who works, raises children, and manages the household. The film can be seen as a precursor to Chantal Akerman's "Jeanne Dielman". Our Friends from Lodz dir. Krystyna Gryczełowska (1971, 16’) Four years after completing "The 24 Hours of Jadwiga L." (1967), Gryczełowska invites three workers from a textile factory to share their personal experiences on camera. Observational sequences alternate with interviews in front of the camera. The Weak Woman dir. Helena Amiradżibi (1967, 8’) With its tongue-in-cheek title, this unique feminist documentary begins with a theatrical sequence featuring a dancing couple on stage. Through a surprising twist, we get a sense of what it means to carry the whole world on one's shoulders. Contributors and additional information: 58 min. OV/e