Kanał / Sewers (1957)
Director: Andrzej Wajda
Runtime: 1h 31min

One of the most famous films of the Polish Film School and winner of the Silver Palme at the Cannes Film Festival. Jerzy Stefan Stawiński’s screenplay focuses on the final weeks of the Warsaw Uprising, which began on August 1, 1944, as the soldiers of Lieutenant "Zadra" are forced to descend into the sewers to escape the Germans. In the labyrinthine darkness, the protagonists lose strength and hope. They get lost, struggle through one obstacle after another, and eventually die or are captured by the occupiers. Kanał is perhaps the most pessimistic and tragic depiction of World War II in Polish cinema. A symbol of the political “thaw” that allowed the topic of the Warsaw Uprising to reach the screen, and at the same time, one of the crowning achievements of the Polish Film School. The film captivated audiences worldwide with its masterful narrative, dynamic staging, outstanding performances, and universal message.