Stanislaw Niedbalski

A portrait of the inhabitants of Jastrzębie (a mining town in Silesia) – young men and women who came there to begin their adult lives. Jastrzębie received municipal rights in 1963, but it is still a huge construction site. Children slide down the heaps of coal, located between the blocks of flats. Young women, dressed in worker jackets, look for their husbands. The life of the inhabitants is subordinated to communicates released by the council of the mine. Working days are about queues and listening to the radio, and days off are about festivals and performances of the mining band. Boxing in the ring and fights in the streets. The directorial debut of Stanisław Manturzewski, a sociologist, journalist, and documentary filmmaker, made in collaboration with Stanisław Niedbalski, a cameraman.

A portrait of the inhabitants of Jastrzębie (a mining town in Silesia) – young men and women who came there to begin their adult lives. Jastrzębie received municipal rights in 1963, but it is still a huge construction site. Children slide down the heaps of coal, located between the blocks of flats. Young women, dressed in worker jackets, look for their husbands. The life of the inhabitants is subordinated to communicates released by the council of the mine. Working days are about queues and listening to the radio, and days off are about festivals and performances of the mining band. Boxing in the ring and fights in the streets. The directorial debut of Stanisław Manturzewski, a sociologist, journalist, and documentary filmmaker, made in collaboration with Stanisław Niedbalski, a cameraman.

A portrait of the inhabitants of Jastrzębie (a mining town in Silesia) – young men and women who came there to begin their adult lives. Jastrzębie received municipal rights in 1963, but it is still a huge construction site. Children slide down the heaps of coal, located between the blocks of flats. Young women, dressed in worker jackets, look for their husbands. The life of the inhabitants is subordinated to communicates released by the council of the mine. Working days are about queues and listening to the radio, and days off are about festivals and performances of the mining band. Boxing in the ring and fights in the streets. The directorial debut of Stanisław Manturzewski, a sociologist, journalist, and documentary filmmaker, made in collaboration with Stanisław Niedbalski, a cameraman.

A purge in the style of those of March 1968 is to take place at a party meeting. Instead, it turns into a psychodrama.

An impressionistic film about bidding farewell to departing army recruits and the end of freedom.

A documentary revolving around the Polish situation on an industrial level at the tail-end of the 1960s: it alternates between stark images at a metallurgic foundry and a board-room meeting among the various executives involved in its management.

A group of veterans recount a horrifying experience when trapped in a minefield, resulting in each losing their sight.

Piwowski’s most controversial documentary, a portrait of Czesław Niemen (1939-2004), an outstanding musician and vocalist, a year after the legendary song "Strange Is This World" was released.

This documentary explores the changing faces of the old Polish city of Lodz, and how its modernization, both physically and culturally, affects the older, more conservative residents, many of whom lived through World War II and are confused and somewhat resentful at the changes they're seeing.

A documentary portrait of Franciszek Wrobel - a twenty-year-old boy leaving his village in order to join one of the Silesian labour corps. It’s the first attempt in the history of Polish documentary cinema to create a deep, psychological image of one protagonist.

A traditional Advent mass filmed in a church in the historical town of Spisska Sobota (Northern Slovakia), featuring authentic liturgical texts and songs.

A documentary record of the effort that marathon runners make. The camera focuses on two runners: Benedict Gugala and Marian Jurczynski, who claim victory after 2 hours 37 minutes and 9 seconds.

Pigeon breeders (men mostly) are a special kind of enthusiasts. Their hobby includes an element of competition – a long-distance race of carrier pigeons.

Documentary of the Kurylewicz Quintet rehearsing a jazz piece in a recording studio. After a few fits and starts the band finally hits its stride.

A portrait of a traveling circus.

An orchestra of working-class musicians rehearses in this short film, honored at the 1960 Venice Film Festival and among the favorite films of director Krzysztof Kieslowski who mentored under this documentary's director.

The title pan (‘patelnia’ means pan) is a terrace on Gubałówka, where people can sunbathe even in the middle of winter. ‘Standing in the sunlight, everyone is only what they are’ - convinces the narrator. The sight is breathtaking.

A lonely man wanders the streets of contemporary Warsaw. He reads the daily press, observes women in a beauty salon and follows the action on a film set. In each of the places he is just an observer, not a protagonist.

A report from a student’s festival in Kraków. The history of this event dates back to the 15th century in Poland. Statues and knights at Wawel remain unmoved until they fall into the rhythm of joyful fun.

A look at the horse races at the famous track in Sluzewiec, Warsaw.

A documentary depicting the Warsaw district of Powiśle where time has stopped. One of several films made by Kazimierz Karabasz included in the "black series" of Polish documentaries. Featuring a commentary typical for documentaries of the second half of the 1950s, it is distinguished by penetrating observation and lyricism.

A documentary impression in color showing the attractions of the Łowicz region. With curiosity, the camera captures scenes from a fair and an amusement park. The atmosphere of the place is created by artists wearing national costumes, especially women from Łowicz in colorful skirts.

Warsaw Central Station, 1958. A place of greetings and farewells, an intersection of people from different parts of Poland and Europe. A girl waits in vain, she goes away. Soon the station would belong to the past too.

The document shows the staging of the Catholic Mystery of the Passion, which takes place every year in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska.

A look at the poorest district of Warsaw. Targówek looks as if the war ended just yesterday - the place is full of rubble and misery, and devoid of any perspectives for a better future.