Republic. The birth of a legend

On 18 October 2026 at 17:00 we invite you to the Student Cinema Niebieski Kocyk for an evening of two Ryszard Kruk documentaries: “Ziggy Dust” and “Republic. The Birth of a Legend”. One ticket includes both films and a meeting with Ryszard Kruk and Grzegorz Kopcewicz after the screenings.

The Republic was born in Od Nowie. It was here that musicians met, ideas matured and a band was formed, which was to permanently change the Polish music scene. Ryszard Kruk's documentary evokes these beginnings, showing the people, places and events behind the birth of the legend.

The director begins the story with the Res Publica group operating in the second half of the 1970s, the dissolution of which led to the creation of the Republic. It goes back to archival recordings and memories of people associated with Toruń's musical community. It recreates the world of a student club, dormitories and radio, where young artists sought their own sound and a way of expressing themselves.

How did these encounters and searches grow into music recognizable for generations to come? The film looks at the creative personality of Grzegorz Ciechowski, the relationships between the musicians and the band's path to success. It is also a story of ambition, artistic independence and tensions that come with working together.

The almost entirely black and white form of the document refers to the characteristic stripes and image of the Republic. It combines modern conversations with archival materials, allowing viewers to plunge into the atmosphere of those years. In the emotional statements of the characters, the experiences that shaped their lives return and remain alive despite the passage of time.

The story ends in 1986, with the collapse of the First Republic. Ryszard Kruk shows the way from dreams and first attempts to great success and parting at the peak of the team's capabilities. At the same time, he asks about the conditions in which great art is born, and what remains after the common experience of its creation.

The screening in Od Nowie has a special dimension: we will see a film about the origins of the Republic in a place inscribed in its history. Together with his previous documentary “Ziggy Dust”, he creates a story about two different roads emerging from the same Toruń environment — connected by music, rebellion and the need for freedom.

We will start the evening at 17:00 with the film “Ziggy Dust” (45 minutes), and then we will present “The Republic. The Birth of a Legend” (55 minutes). The first documentary tells about Zbigniew Cołbecki, the leader of Bikini from Toruń, whose path led from the punk rock scene through emigration to recognition as a dancing street cleaner in England.

After both films, there will be a meeting with Ryszard Kruk, documentary director, and Grzegorz Kopcewicz, who appears in “Republic. The Birth of a Legend.” It will be an opportunity to talk about Toruń's music scene, work on films and memories captured on the screen.

One ticket entitles you to participate in the whole evening: both screenings and a meeting with guests.