Aleksander Ford

24.11.1908, Lódź - 04.04.1980, Florida, SAD

 

Director
Ford is a Polish director and screenwriter who achieved success with his second feature film Legion ulicy (Legion of the Streets, 1932). He later made the films Halutzim (Sabra, 1934) and Droga mlodich (We're On Our Way, 1936), Ludzie Wisly (People of the Vistula, 1937), Ulica graniczna (Border Street, 1949) and the biography film Mlodość Chopina (Chopin's Youth, 1952). In 1954, he directed his biggest success Piątka z ulicy Barskiej (Five Boys from Barska Street). His other films include Osmy dzień tygodnia (The Eighth Day of the Week, 1958), the spectacular film Krzyźacy (Knights of the Black Cross, 1960), and Pierwszy dzien wolnosci (The First Day of Freedom, 1965). Because of growth of anti-Semitic feelings in Poland, he moved first to the US where he made The First Circle (1972), and later to Israel where he made The Martyr (1975).

Filmography


Films by this director

Five Boys from Barska Street

(Piątka z ulicy Barskiej, 1954)

Directed by: Aleksander Ford
PHOTOGRAPHY: Karol Chodura, Jaroslav Tuzar
Synopsis:

This drama is about five young delinquents who come of age in wartime. We follow the ways their personalities change due to the building of the socialist Poland. In 1954, this film won an award in Cannes.

color, 108 min

Knights of the Black Cross

(Krzyźacy, 1960)

Directed by: Aleksander Ford
PHOTOGRAPHY: Mieczyslaw Jahoda
Synopsis:

The film Knights of the Black Cross is a historical epic set in fifteenth century Poland. It is a story about the victory of the Lithuanian and Polish armies over Teutonic knights at Grunwald in 1410. Simultaneously, we follow a love story about Danusia, a warrior’s daughter, and a young man named Zbyszko. The film is based on Henryk Sienkiewicz’s novel.

color, 166 min

The Eighth Day of the Week

(Osmy dzień tygodnia, 1958)

Directed by: Aleksander Ford
PHOTOGRAPHY: Jerzy Lipman, Igor Oberberg
Synopsis:

This is a film adaptation of Marek Hlaska’s short story, made in 1958 when the writer emigrated from Poland due to his disagreement with the political climate of his home country. This pessimistic film, which follows the life of a poor young couple in Warsaw, was censored for a long time and was first shown in 1983.

35 mm, color, 83 min

Chopin's Youth

(Młodość Chopina, 1952.)

Directed by: Aleksander Ford
PHOTOGRAPHY: Jaroslav Tuzar
Synopsis:

Glazbeni, povijesni, biografski film. U ovom filmu veliki skladatelj postaje blizak malom čovjeku, povezan je s konkretnim povijesnim razdobljem i crpi inspiraciju iz te povijesti. To je u velikoj mjeri zasluga glumca Czeslawa Wollejke koji je utjelovio Chopina. Izniman i odgovoran zadatak bilo je predstaviti unutarnji svijet umjetnika. Mladi Fryderyk u izvedbi Wołłejke je istovremeno živ, osjećajan čovjek te velik inspirirajući skladatelj. Ford je izvedbu glazbenih djela u filmu povjerio istakn...

35 mm, b/w, 121 min
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