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The Polish Cultural Institute New York, BAMcinématek in New York and the Cinefamily in Los Angeles join forces to present the first complete US retrospective of Andrzej Zulawski's films. Long overdue, this unique program will feature all Polish and French films by the acclaimed European auteur, including the new 35mm print of the controversial erotic-political thriller Possession (1981), starring Isabelle Adjani (Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival) and Sam Neill; That Most Important Thing: Love (1975) with Romy Schneider and Klaus Kinski, and the debut screening of a newly struck 35mm print of The Third Part of the Night (1971).

Andrzej Zulawski (b. 1940) - director, screenwriter, novelist, essayist and actor - has created a body of work unlike any other. His debut feature The Third Part of the Night in 1971 defined his exuberant style, which has developed over the course of his career in Poland and France.

Zulawski's cinema is like an expressive dance with non-linear storytelling, elements of surrealism, and obsession with bodily functions and sexuality to the point of obscenity and brutality, where the extravagance of form serves as a metaphor for the conflicting forces within the human soul and a desperate search for the truth, beauty, the Absolute and salvation. Loved by many, hated by some, he remains one of Poland's - and Europe's - most radical filmmakers.

He began his career as an assistant director to Andrzej Wajda (Samson, 1961; Ashes, 1965). After The Third Part of the Night he made The Devil (1972) - banned by the Communist authorities. Following the success of That Most Important Thing: Love in France, he was allowed to return to Poland to make a science fiction epic, On the Silver Globe (1976/1988), an allegory of totalitarianism that was yet again banned by the authorities and forced Zulawski to leave Poland for France to continue working. Possession and La Femme Publique (1984) with Valerie Kaprisky, are two of the "wild, imaginative, and controversial pictures" (Yuri German, All Movie Guide) that gained Zulawski his reputation as a non-conformist visionary.

The Andrzej Zulawski retrospective is presented by BAMcinématek and The Cinefamily in collaboration with the Polish Cultural Institute New York. Additional support comes from the Polish Film Institute and the Polish National Film Archive.

Special thanks to Daniel Bird and Michal Oleszczyk.

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