Paderewski: Man of Action, Success and Fame

November 9, 2013

The documentary film Paderewski: Man of Action, Success and Fame presents the history of the great Polish patriot, world-famous pianist and composer, statesman, diplomat, politician and philanthropist.

Thanks to Paderewski, Poland regained independence after World War I. Paderewski’s great and memorable deeds are discussed by several historical witnesses, including U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, George H. W. Bush, and Poland’s president Lech Wałęsa, as well as by the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Józef Glemp, and musicologists Jerzy Waldorff and Jan Popis.

The film features Paderewski’s own piano performances and includes footage of his last journey from Arlington National Cemetery in Washington to the crypt at the Basilica of St. John in Warsaw’s Old Town.

The 96-year old General Edward Rowny (U.S. Army, Ret.), negotiator and co-creator of European nuclear disarmament treaties, quotes the opening line of Poland’s national anthem, “Poland is not yet lost, as long as we live,” which serves as the film’s motto. Running time: 32 minutes. In Polish with English subtitles. Dir. Wiesław Dąbrowski

This film showing is sponsored by the REC Foundation.