Katyn

[byronic]

I'm not sure if this post should be here or in the WW2 forum but here goes: on a recent trip to Warsaw i picked up the movie 'Katyn' on dvd. As the title suggests it tells the story of the infamous massacre of Polish army officers in the Katyn forest, the struggle of their loved ones who try to find out what became of them, and the official lies, cover-ups and intimidation they came up against. Although this was released in Poland in mid 2007, the film never seems to have been widely released in cinemas in Britain or the U.S to the best of my knowledge, possibly because it was thought not to be of sufficient interest to non-Polish audiences. A great shame as its beautifully filmed and acted. If you can find it on dvd it's well worth a look- and don't panic, there are English subtitles.
An interesting footnote is that the director, Andrzeja Wajdy, had a personal reason for making this- his father was one of the executed officers.
this will give you some idea:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWPIleYTjB4

 

[cufflinkmaniac]

I'm not sure if this post should be here or in the WW2 forum but here goes: on a recent trip to Warsaw i picked up the movie 'Katyn' on dvd. As the title suggests it tells the story of the infamous massacre of Polish army officers in the Katyn forest, the struggle of their loved ones who try to find out what became of them, and the official lies, cover-ups and intimidation they came up against. Although this was released in Poland in mid 2007, the film never seems to have been widely released in cinemas in Britain or the U.S to the best of my knowledge, possibly because it was thought not to be of sufficient interest to non-Polish audiences. A great shame as its beautifully filmed and acted. If you can find it on dvd it's well worth a look- and don't panic, there are English subtitles.
An interesting footnote is that the director, Andrzeja Wajdy, had a personal reason for making this- his father was one of the executed officers.

I'll have to look into that.

 

[Dr Doran]

The Katyn massacre is extremely famous amongst all Polish persons (my wife is Polish, and that is how I know about it). Andrzej Wajda is probably Poland's most famous director unless you count Polanski. Wajda directed Ashes and Diamonds, a brilliant post WW2 film about a shades-wearing James Dean-esque coolnik who blows up Soviet stuff, and many more films.

More on the Katyn massacre can be found in Norman Davies' books: in God's Playground: A History of Poland. Davies is one of the only Western historians who gives a &$#% about Eastern Europe besides Russia and he even incorporated Eastern Europe into his general book on European history, Europe: A History (which also discusses the Katyn massacre) rather than focussing on Western Europe which is almost always done in such books.

 

[Rola]

Today we have the Katyn Victims Remembrance Day. Instead of rewriting other impersonal, objective articles about the mass murder (you can easily find them yourself, like here) I'd like to do something else and bring today just one of its victims.

One of the bodies discovered belong to a woman. It turned out it was Janina Dowbor-Muśnicka, general's daughter. Her sister was killed by Nazis, while she was executed by Soviets.

At first she was dreaming of a career as an artist, but her father would never allow her. Surprisingly she discovered a passion for flying. Joined a glider club. Trained as radiotelegraph operator. Was the first European woman to make parachute jump from 5km.

Here she is, in front of RWD-8 (basic trainer for a whole generation of Polish pilots)

Met a flight instructor, Mieczysław Lewandowski, and fell in love. Got married in summer 1939... and that's Janka's last picture...

Her father's upbringing made her join other reserve pilots. As 2nd lieutenant she thought she could be useful. Took dad's two pistols, just in case...

Captured by Soviets... while her husband escaped Poland and continued the fight as a pilot in Britain, as a daughter of a Polish general who fought Bolsheviks she was shot in the back of her head, most probably on her 32nd birthday 22.IV.1940... 70 years ago...

source for pics & article in Polish

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Just requested it from the public library last week, should get it this week.

 

[dhermann1]

And now this terrible, ironic and tragic tie-in.

 

[Kitty_Sheridan]

There is a Facebook page appealing for the film to be shown again in the light of the tragic events in Russia.

Thank you for posting those amazing photos.

K

 

[cookie]

The Evil Empire

The Soviet Union was not called the "Evil Empire" for nothing yet so many of the Western "intelligentsia" were complicit in explaining away its atrocities....