| Interrogation | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Ryszard Bugajski |
| Produced by | Tadeusz Drewno Andrzej Wajda |
| Written by | Ryszard Bugajski Janusz Dymek |
| Starring | Krystyna Janda Adam Ferency Janusz Gajos |
| Cinematography | Jacek Petrycki |
| Editing by | Katarzyna Maciejko-Kowalczyk |
| Release date(s) | 13 December 1989 |
| Running time | 118 minutes |
| Country | Poland |
| Language | Polish |
Interrogation (Polish: Przesłuchanie) is a 1982 Polish crime film directed by Ryszard Bugajski. Due to its anti-communist themes, the Polish communist government banned the film from public viewing for over seven years, until the 1989 dissolution of the Eastern Bloc allowed it to see the light of day.[1] The film had its first theatrical release in December 1989 in its native Poland, and was entered into the 1990 Cannes Film Festival where Krystyna Janda won the award for Best Actress and the film itself was nominated for the Palme d'Or.[2]
Despite the movie's controversial initial reception and subsequent banning, it nevertheless garnered a cult fanbase through the circulation of illegally taped VHS copies, which director Ryszard Bugajski secretly helped to leak out to the general public.[1][3]
Contents |
Tonia (Krystyna Janda) is a cabaret singer in post-World War II Stalinist Poland. She is arrested, without being told why, and placed in a political prison to be interrogated. Over a course of several years, she is humiliated and tortured by prison officials into confessing to other crimes she did not commit. After failing to sign a document detailing a false confession, she is taken to the prison shower block and locked into a small cage between the floor. The water is turned on and the room is slowly flooded. She is released at the last moment, and forced to sign the confession form again, which she continues to refuse to do so. Whilst in prison, she demands that she sees her husband. One day he visits the prison, and is told of her alleged one-night stand prior to her arrest, and he tells her that he doesn't want to see her again. She unsuccessfully attempts suicide. She develops a romantic relationship with one of the prison officials, becomes pregnant by him, and is forced to give up her child for adoption, before eventually being released.
| Festival | Category | Winner/Nominee | Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival[2] | Best Actress | Krystyna Janda | Yes |
| Palme d'Or | Ryszard Bugajski | No | |
| Chicago International Film Festival[4] | Silver Hugo | Ryszard Bugajski | Yes |
| European Film Awards[5] | Best Actress | Krystyna Janda | No |
| Best Film | Janusz Morgenstern | No | |
| Best Screenwriter | Ryszard Bugajski, Janusz Dymek | No | |
| Polish Film Festival[6] | Best Actor | Janusz Gajos | Yes |
| Best Actress | Krystyna Janda | Yes | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Anna Romantowska | Yes | |
| Special Jury Prize | Ryszard Bugajski | Yes |