APF: Fears | In the coal mine

Another meeting of the Polish Film Academy at the Student Cinema “Blue Blanket” in Toruń, realized in cooperation with the National Film Archive — Audiovisual Institute.

In the program:

Strachy — directed by Eugeniusz Cękalski, Karol Szołowski,

In the coal mine — directed by Eugeniusz Cękalski, photos by Stanisław Wohl.

After the screening of the films, the lecture will be given by: Dr. Magdalena Mateja, professor of UMK

The meeting takes place as part of the first semester of the APF Plot “In Search of Identity. Polish Cinema until 1956”, dedicated to the development of cinema on Polish soil in the first half century of its existence — from pioneering productions to the first works of the Polish Film School.

The Polish Film Academy is a nationwide educational program of the National Film Archive — Audiovisual Institute, which disseminates knowledge about the history of Polish cinematography. Each meeting combines a film lecture with a film screening, allowing us to look at indigenous cinema through its creators, genres, themes and historical contexts.

In the academic year 2026/2027, Toruń for the first time joins the group of cities where the program of the Polish Film Academy is implemented.

Fears (1938)

Director: Eugeniusz Cekalski, Karol Szolowski

“Fears” was based on the novel by Maria Ukniewska. The protagonist of the film is Teresa Sikorzanka, a young theater dancer who dreams of a career and life on stage. Her path leads through a world of revues, provincial theatres, professional ambitions and relationships where dreams do not always go hand in hand with security and stability.

The film combines elements of melodrama with a pronounced social interest. The creators look at the theatrical environment, the professional situation of women and the realities of life outside the mainstream of metropolitan success. Thanks to this, the story of a young dancer also becomes a portrait of a certain environment and era.

The cast includes, among others, Hanna Karwowska, Eugeniusz Bodo, Jadwiga Andrzejewska, Józef Węrzyn, Jan Kreczmar and Mieczysława Ćwiklińska. The music for the film was composed by Andrzej Panufnik. The film is 94 minutes long.

In the Coal Mine (1935)

Director: Eugeniusz Cękalski

The short documentary looks at the everyday life of Polish miners — their work underground, the process of coal mining, but also life outside the mine, rest and time spent together. The film was commissioned by the Institute of Social Affairs and lasts 10 minutes.

“In the Coal Mine” is an example of pre-war documentary cinema, which directed the camera towards the everyday experience of working people. The observation of reality here becomes a way of telling about society — without the need to build a classic plot.