Kieślowski's Unknown: How Kieślowski's late films were influenced by his Polishness and his early Polish films

Krzysztof Kieślowski is regarded as one of the most universal Polish film directors. However, the author wishes to argue that his work was deeply rooted in his sense of Polishness. In terms of research methods, this thesis utilises the existing abundant li terature on nation and nationalism to provide an overview of the topic and builds its own theoretical framework and a working definition of Polishness. The latter is influenced by the author’s studies of both English and PolishPolish-language materials. In the c ase study part, this paper mostly uses primary sources, mainly Kieślowski’s films to find traces of Polishness in them. The analysis builds on the theoretical tools illustrated in the first section. This thesis offers two s ets of conclusions. With regard to the theory, it suggests that Polishness is diverse and very contradictory. With regard to the case of Krzysztof Kieślowski, this thesis concludes that his work can be fully understood and appreciated only in the light of his national identity and experi ence presented in his early films made in Poland. It provides as well some explanation of some typical Polish customs to help to better understand Kieślowski and his films by introducing some insight into Polish traditions and characteristics. Finally, the author recommends further research into Polishness in the work of other Polish directors working abroad.

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10454/17399

Type

Thesis

Qualification name

PhD