BAMcinématek Hysterical Excess: Discovering Andrzej Zulawski

This month, we’ll be checking out the Andrzej Zulawski film retrospective at BAM.

Dubbed the enfant terrible of Polish cinema, Andrzej Zulawski is one of the most controversial and polarizing filmmakers in the world. BAMcinématek is proud to present the first US retrospective of the uncompromising auteur’s complete work in partnership with the Polish Cultural Institute.

The series includes two rare, early shorts Zulawski directed for Polish television—Pavoncello and The Song of Triumphant Love—along with a new 35mm print of his first feature, The Third Part of the Night. A true cinematic agitator, Zulawski squeezed fervent performances from all of his actors in these films that rise to ecstatic heights yet dive deep into the nadirs of the human condition: birth, love, loss, death, and everything in between.

Here’s a taste of the campy hysterical excess to expect:

Possession (1981) – International Trailer