Działalność producencka Studia Filmowego im. Karola Irzykowskiego w latach 1981-1989
Film Production in the Karol Irzykowski Film Studio in 1981-1989

Summary/Abstract: The Karol Irzykowski Film Studio was founded by a group of young filmmakers in 1981 to produce film debuts. It functioned within the framework of official state structures, yet at the same time it was situated outside them. It was directly subordinate to the Ministry of Culture and Arts, but it could make independent decisions concerning the production of film scripts and acceptance of the final versions of films. The studio was managed by an artistic council, democratically elected by its members; it was formed by five young filmmakers who had a final say in the decisions concerning film production. Therefore, the policy of the Karol Irzykowski Film Studio was far more independent than, for example, in the case of state-controlled film companies known as “film units”. During martial law, Mieczysław Waśkowski, a film director who had won the trust of state authorities, became the studio’s commissioner, and as early as 1984 its organizational structure changed. In 1985-1989, the studio lost several of its initial privileges and therefore in terms of functioning no longer differed from other film units. This obviously influenced its activity in terms of film production. The aim of the article to address the following question: How did personal, political, and institutional decisions influence the organization and thematic content policy of the Karol Irzykowski Film Studio?

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