Presented by the Society for Arts, the Polish Film Festival in America runs Friday, November 6, through Sunday, November 22, with screenings this week at Beverly Arts Center, Facets Cinematheque, Pickwick, River East 21, and Society for Arts. Unless otherwise noted, tickets are $13, $12 for students, and $9 for seniors; documentary screenings are $10 for all, and a festival pass, good for seven screenings, is $70. For more information, a complete schedule, and ticket purchases, call 773-486-9612 or go to pffamerica.com.
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R General Nil This handsome, well-acted biopic chronicles the postwar life and tragic death of the legendary Polish anti-Nazi guerrilla leader General August Fieldorf, portrayed with charismatic grit and stoicism by granite-faced Olgierd Lukaszewicz. Pressured by Polish nationalists to lead a second insurgency, against Soviet rule, Fieldorf is swept up by the secret police and subjected to a national show trial for capital crimes against the people. Director Ryszard Bugajski keeps things simple and dry, allowing the harrowing historical material—including some harsh evocations of Polish anti-Semitism—to speak for itself. In Polish and German with subtitles. 123 min. —Cliff Doerksen Screening as part of the opening-night gala; tickets for the film only are $29. Fri 11/6, 7 PM, River East 21
Never Say Never Ama (Anna Dereszowska) is a ball-busting corporate climber by day and a man-eater by night, but in her chilly corner office she pages through a secret stash of parenting magazines, daydreaming about newborn babies. Her biological clock is ticking like a time bomb, plus her gynecologist warns her that a youthful abortion may have compromised her fertility. I believe “backlash” is the accepted Western term for such material, though directors Wojciech Pacyna and writers Iwona Siemieniuk and Pawel Mossakowski seem more interested in working up suds than in driving home any coherent ideological agenda. The visuals are slightly above soap-opera level; the dialogue and cast are not. In Polish with subtitles. 102 min. —Cliff Doerksen Sat 11/7, 9 PM, Facets Cinematheque, and Sun 11/8, 3 PM, Pickwick
