Salad Days

(Zielone lata)


1979   >   war film/for youth

A war drama for viewers of all ages by director Stanisław Jędryka who gained popularity thanks to cult films for kids and teens like „Wakacje z duchami”, „Podróż za jeden uśmiech” or „Stawiam na Tolka Banana”.

The film received the Golden Goats of Poznań and the Children’s Jury awards at the Kids’ and Teens’ Film Festival in Poznań in 1981.

The film is an adaptation of the novel „Troje znad Czarnej Rzeki” by  Jerzy Przeździecki with great acting by child actors.

The war as seen through the eyes of children who were forced to make adult decisions and who had to pay a terrible price for the choices and errors made by grown-ups.

1939. Despite the menace of an armed conflict representatives of many nationalities live together as neighbors in Sosnowiec. Their biggest problem is not having enough money. Wojtek, a boy under 10, the son of a poor worker, is friends with a Jew of the same age – Abramek, and Erna, the daughter of the German pharmacist. The war begins and Nazi occupation destroys their world. Wojtek’s father disappears without a trace during the September campaign, Erna parents hang out a flag with a swastika. Abramek attempts escape while the Jews are being brutally relocated. He is seriously injured. Wojtek and Erna decide to save their friend together, going against the law and the divisions that are forced onto them.  They’re unaware their families too will soon be crippled by the war.


Crew:

director
Stanisław Jędryka
script
Jerzy Przeździecki
d.o.p.
Jacek Korcelli
designer
Bolwsław Kamykowski
editor
Barbara Kosidowska
music
Andrzej Korzyński
cast
Tomasz Jarosiński
Agnieszka Konopczyńska
Jacek Bryniarski
Małgorzata Pritulak
Krzysztof Kiersznowski
Henryk Bista

Awards:

Poznań
Golden Goat at the Polish Festival of Childrens and Youth Films
Poznań
Children Jury Award at the Polish Festival of Childrens and Youth Films
Materials: SD
Length: 98’

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