CAST OF CHARACTERS
MARTA
Krystyna Janda
A middle-aged wife of a small town doctor. She is slim and handsome and still
catches a man’s eye. Marta is a highly cultured and well educated woman; she
spends her life among books. She is open-minded and sensitive, but her life in the
country does not have much to offer her. She thrives on memories of the years
when she was young and in love with her husband – something that is for long
overcome by the quiet rhythm of the childless couple’s well-regulated life. Even
though many years have passed, Marta still mourns the death of her two sons,
who fought and died young in the Warsaw Uprising during World War II –
something she still hasn’t gotten over. She even keeps their room intact. Marta is
terminally ill, but she doesn’t know it - her husband and friends have been
keeping it a secret from her. When she meets Boguś, she is fascinated by his
youth and innocence, his naiveté and simplicity – it all reminds her of things long
gone. Maybe she envies a little his pretty girlfriend? Maybe he reminds her of her
sons? At the end, Marta, as well as the actress who portrays her, is confronted
with eternal, inevitable rules of life and death.
ACTRESS
Krystyna Janda
One of Poland’s most acclaimed and popular film and stage actresses. She
plays the role of Marta in the film “Sweet Rush” by Andrzej Wajda, based on the
short story by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz. She is in a special emotional state after her
husband’s death.
BOGUŚ
Paweł Szajda
A young, 20 year old, labourer at the waterworks. An orphan, raised by his
grandmother. A nice and straightforward boy, quite handsome. He is a bit naïve
but open-minded and easily makes friends with Marta although she is his
mother’s age. He is impressed by Marta’s education and manners and shows
respect to her in a slightly old-fashioned way. He has a pretty girlfriend, but
somehow is fascinated by the older woman. A bit childish, Bogus likes to show off
– which in the end leads to his death.
DOCTOR/MARTA’S HUSBAND
Jan Englert
A middle-aged physician with a private practice in a small town where he is
widely respected. Decent and trustworthy, a bit dull. He tries to be a good,
responsible husband but he constantly distances himself from Marta, unable to
share her never ending mourning for their dead sons. He is shocked when he
finds out that she is terminally ill but he puts on a brave face, perhaps lacking the
courage to tell her the truth.
MARTA’S FRIEND
Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieślak
A middle-aged woman, tired of life. She lives in Warsaw and comes to visit Marta
frequently. Marta likes to talk to her as it helps her forget for a moment about the
children she lost during a war, an experience both women share.
HALINKA
Julia Pietrucha
The young, beautiful girlfriend of Boguś. Their relationship has its ups and downs –
Halinka who studies at university wants Boguś to improve his education but he is
not very willing to do that. Halinka is unaware that she has a mysterious “rival” in
Marta.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
ANDRZEJ WAJDA
Film and theatre director. Born on March 6th in 1926 in Suwałki, Poland.
Graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow and the Film School in Łódź.
Senator of the Republic of Poland 1989-91.
Received numerous awards and prizes, including:
BAFTA Fellowship 1982; Onassis Prize, Greece 1982; Oficier de la Légion
d'Honneur 1982 France; Cesar Award, France 1983; Pirandello Artistic Award,
Italy 1986; Kyoto Prize, Japan 1987; “Felix” European Film Awards- Lifetime
Achievement Award 1990; Order of Rising Sun, Japan 1995; Premium Imperiale,
Japan 1997; Golden Lion Life Achievement Award, Venice,1998; OSCAR
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - Lifetime Achievement Award
2000; Commandeur de la Légion d`honneur France 2001; Golden Bear Life
Achievement Award, IFF Berlin 2006.
Selected filmography:
- Pokolenie (Generation) 1954 - Polish State Prize;
- Idę do Słońca (I`m Going to the Sun) 1955;
- Kanał 1957 – Special Jury Prize - Cannes
1957;
- Popiół i Diament (Ashes and Diamonds) 1957 – FIPRESCI Prize Venice 1959, D. O.
Selznick`s “Silver Laurel” Award 1962;
- Lotna 1959;
- Niewinni czarodzieje (Innocent Sorcerers) 1960;
- Samson 1961;
- L`amour a Vingt Ans (Love at Twenty) 1962;
- Popioły (Ashes) 1965;
- Wszystko na sprzedaż (Everything for Sale) 1969;
- Polowanie na muchy (Hunting Flies) 1969;
- Krajobraz po bitwie (Landscape After the Battle) 1970 Golden Globe Milan 1971;
- Brzezina (The Birch Wood) 1970 - FIPRESCI Milan 1970, Golden Medal Moscow 1971;
- Wesele (The Wedding) 1973 - Silver Shell San Sebastian 1973;
- Ziemia Obiecana (The Promised Land) 1975 – Gdańsk Golden Lions 1975, Golden Medal Moscow 1975, Oscar Award Nomination 1976;
- Człowiek z marmuru (Man of Marble) 1977 – FIPRESCI Prize, Cannes 1978;
- Bez znieczulenia (Without Anesthesia) 1978 – OCIC Prize, Cannes 1979;
- Panny z Wilka (The Maids of Wilko) 1979 - Oscar Award Nomination 1980;
- Człowiek z Żelaza (Man of Iron) 1981 - Golden Palm Cannes 1981, Oscar® nominee 1982;
- Danton 1982 - Prix Louis Delluc 1982;
- Eine Liebe in Deutchland (A Love in Germany) 1983;
- Kronika wypadków miłosnych (Chronicle of Love Affairs) 1986;
- Les Possedes (The Possessed) 1987;
- Korczak 1990;
- Pierścionek z orłem w koronie (The Crowned-EagleRing ) 1992;
- Nastasya 1994;
- Wielki Tydzień (The Holy Week) 1995 - Silver Bear, Berlin 1996;
- Zemsta (The Revenge) 2002;
- Katyń 2007 – Oscar Nomination 2008, European Film Academy Prix d’Excellence for 2008
PAWEŁ EDELMAN
Cinematography
Director of Photography. Born on 26th of June1958 in Łódź, Poland. He is a
graduate of the Cultural Studies Department of the University of Łódź where he
majored in film studies. He also studied cinematography at the State Higher
School of Film, Television and Theatre in Łódź, from which he graduated in 1988.
He has worked, among others, with the following directors: Yurek Bogajewicz,
Taylor Hackford, Lukasz Karwowski, Władysław Pasikowski, Roman Polanski, Jerzy
Stuhr, Andrzej Wajda, Leszek Wosiewicz, Steven Zaillian, Janusz Zaorski.
Selected filmography:
- Kroll 1991 - Best Cinematography Prize at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia
- Kroniki domowe (The Family Events) 1997 - Best Cinematography Prize at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia; Bronze Frog for Best Photography at the Camerimage International Film Festival; Nomination for Polish Film Academy
Award for Best Cinematography
- Historie miłosne (Love Stories) 1997
- Demony wojny według Goi (Demons of War) 1998 - Nomination for Polish Film Academy Award for Best Cinematography
- Pan Tadeusz (Pan Tadeusz: The Last Foray in Lithuania) 1999 – Polish Film Academy Award for Best Cinematography
- Duże zwierzę (Big Animal) 2000 - Nomination for Polish Film Academy Award Best Cinematography
- The Pianist 2002 - European Film Academy Prize for Best Cinematography;
BAFTA Nomination for Best Cinematography; Cesar Award for Best
Cinematography; Polish Film Academy Award for Best Cinematography;
Nomination for the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Prize; Oscar®
Nomination for Best Cinematography
- Zemsta (The Revenge) 2002
- Ray 2004 - Nomination for the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Prize
- Oliver Twist 2005
- All the King’s Men 2006
- Katyń 2007 - Polish Film Academy Award for Best Cinematography
MAGDALENA BIEDRZYCKA
Costume Designer
A renowned costume designer. Awarded with European Film Award Prix
d’Excellence for her work in Katyń (2007) by Andrzej Wajda. She has worked on
many outstanding films, such as Weiser by Wojciech Marczewski, Zemsta (The
Revenge) by Andrzej Wajda, and Wszyscy jesteśmy Chrystusami by Marek
Koterski (We’re all Christs).
MAGDALENA DIPONT
Art Director
Won the Polish Film Award in Gdynia for best production design for her work on
Mój Nikifor (My Nikifor) by Krzysztof Krauze and Katyń by Andrzej Wajda. She has
worked on films including Dług (The Debt) by Krzysztof Krauze, Krótki film o
zabijaniu (A Short Film about Killing) by Krzysztof Kieślowski, and Człowiek z żelaza
(Man of Iron) by Andrzej Wajda.
PAWEŁ MYKIETYN
Composer
An outstanding Polish composer and clarinetist of the new generation. Born in
1971 in Oława, Poland. He composes music both for film and theater. Above all
he works in cooperation with the renowned theater directors Krzysztof
Warlikowski and Grzegorz Jarzyna. His debut took place at the Festiwal
Warszawska Jesień in 1993. The composer of original music for outstanding films
including 33 sceny z życia (33 Scenes from Life) and Egoiści (The Egoists). He
plays clarinet in a musical band - Monstrom.
EWA BRODZKA
Production Manager, Casting Director
She is a Polish filmmaker, production manager, second unit director and casting
director. She has worked on many Polish and international feature films such as
Schindler’s List by Steven Spielberg, The Pianist by Roman Polanski, Julie Walking
Home by Agnieszka Holland and Strike by Volker Schlőndorff and as first assistant
director and production manager with Academy Award winning director
Andrzej Wajda. She has worked on his latest film Sweet Rush as well as Katyń and
Pan Tadeusz.
ABOUT THE CAST
KRYSTYNA JANDA
Born in 1952, a graduate of the Theatre Academy in Warsaw in 1975. Eminent
theatre and film actress. She has worked with such celebrated directors as
Andrzej Wajda, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Krzysztof Zanussi, Wojciech Marczewski, Piotr
Szulkin and Andrzej Barański. Her debut as a film director, the 1995 feature Pestka
(The Pip), was awarded the Best Debut Prize at the Gdynia Polish Film Festival.
Directed several films, TV series, theatre and TV theatre performances. Recently
she established her own theatre in Warsaw.
Selected filmography:
- Człowiek z marmuru (Man of Marble) 1977
- Bez znieczulenia (Without Anesthesia) 1978
- Człowiek z żelaza (Man of Iron) 1981
- Przesłuchanie (The Interrogation) 1982 - Best Actress Award at the Cannes International Film Festival
- Laputa 1986 - Best Female Role Prize at the Montreal World Film Festival
- Krótki film o zabijaniu (A Short Film About Killing) 1988
- Dekalog (The Decalogue, Part 2 and 5) 1988
- Zwolnieni z życia (Dismissed from Life) 1992 - Best Actress Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival
- Życie Jako Śmiertelna Choroba Przenoszona Drogą Płciową (Life As A Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease) 2000
- Parę osób, mały czas (A Few People, A Little Time) 2005 – Best Actress Award at
the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia
- Wróżby Kumaka (The Call of the Toad) 2005
PAWEŁ SZAJDA
A talented film and theater actor of the young generation. Born in 1982 in
Farmington, Connecticut. He is of Polish descent. Currently lives in New York,
where he plays in theatres (The Players Theatre, Makor Theatre). Trained among
others in the Fordham University at Lincoln Center. He played in the HBO TV series
Generation Kill and in Under the Tuscan Sun by Audrey Wells. His lead role in
Sweet Rush was his debut in a Polish film.
JAN ENGLERT
An outstanding theater and film actor. Between 1964 and 1981, he performed at
the Współczesny Theatre in Warsaw and between 1981 and 1994 at the Polski
Theatre. Currently he plays at the Teatr Narodowy (National Theatre), where he
also works as the Artistic Director. He also lectures at Warsaw’s State Theater
School, where he was Dean of the Acting Department from 1981 to 1987 and
the chancellor in 1987,1993, and 2000. He was a member of the Culture Council
of the President of the Polish Republic in 1992 – 1993. His most recent great
performance was in Katyń by Andrzej Wajda.
JADWIGA JANKOWSKA-CIEŚLAK
A well known film, TV and theater actress. Born in 1951 in Gdańsk, she started her
film career in Ostatni liść (The Last Leaf) by Barbara Sass. Her breakthrough
performance was in Trzeba zabić tę miłość (This Love Needs To Be Killed) by
Janusz Morgenstern – the role earned her the prestigious Zbyszek Cybulski Award.
She was the first Polish actress awarded at The Cannes Film Festival, for the role
of the journalist Eva Shalanky in the Hungarian film Another Look (Egymasra
Nesve).
JULIA PIETRUCHA
A young rising star of the Polish cinema. In 2007 she won the Special Acting
Award at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia for her part in Let’s go to the movies
tomorrow by Michał Kwieciński. Julia is a student of the Psychology Department
at Warsaw University and plans to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute in
Los Angeles.
