One Man Unites A Nation In The First Teaser For WALESA

Patryk Czekaj, Contributing Writer; Tokyo, Japan (@patrykczekaj)

When looking at the turbulent post-World War II history of Eastern Europe, it's crucial to comprehend the importance of a few local heroes, who had an immense impact on the revolutions and the whole transformation process that the citizens of the nations of the so-called Eastern Bloc (such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Hungary), led by Soviet Union, longed for since the day Communists took over and started their unlawful ruling. One of the most meaningful events of those times happened in the center of the Polish voivodeship called Pomerania. What began as labor strikes in the Gdansk Shipyard soon turned into a fight for the independence of a struggling country. In all the turmoil caused by ongoing conflicts between the ruling Communist party and the trade-union workers, one man arose from nowhere and dramatically changed the course of the history as we now know it.

That man was Lech Walesa, a simple electrician, who later became a symbol of the Solidarity trade-union movement, and the leader of an indescribably significant - and peaceful - fight to turn Poland into a country on its own rights. WALESA, directed by Andrzej Wajda (Ashes and Diamonds, Katyn), is a drama film that concentrates on the titular character's both private and public life. The director himself said that he wanted to shine a new light on Lech Walesa, and the best way to do so is to make an engaging picture that immortalizes a person and deliberately convey the truth about the importance of freedom.

The first short teasers gives a glimpse of the strictly intense atmosphere of the movie, where protesting citizens clash with militia. Those thrilling images are supported by Walesa's (played by one of the most convincing modern Polish actors Robert Wieckiewicz) fortifying speeches, along with many symbolic drawings that somehow foreshadow the future of Poland. Apart from being a recollection of many actual events, the film's also supposed to serve as an introductory guide to Walesa as a human being and as a political figure for the younger audiences.

The film will have its worldwide premiere on September 23. Watch the first teaser below.
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