Poznan '56

One of the most traumatic events in recent Polish history is the workers' rebellion in Poznan that broke out on 28 June 1956. Forty years later Bajon made a black & white film in beautiful Cinemascope that - at last - provides an artistic reflection on a past that can now be discussed but is not yet digested.Through the eyes of two twelve-year-old boys, we see the strike break out and spread, before being bloodily suppressed. The boys walk round in a city that has become completely unrecognisable in just one day. There are demonstrations, fights, shooting. The mood is strange, a mixture of a suddenly feeling of freedom overshadowed by tragedy. The characters all have their own view of events; no one knows what the consequences will be of the rebellion for their lives.Through the eyes of two twelve-year-old boys, we see the strike break out and spread, before being bloodily suppressed. The boys walk round in a city that has become completely unrecognisable in just one day. There are demonstrations, fights, shooting. The mood is strange, a mixture of a suddenly feeling of freedom overshadowed by tragedy. The characters all have their own view of events; no one knows what the consequences will be of the rebellion for their lives.