“Wołyń”, “Pokłosie”, “Green Border”, books by Olga Tokarczuk – now this group will probably be joined by “White Courage” by Marcin Koszałka. The film telling the story of the collaboration of some Podhale inhabitants with the Nazis will premiere in early March, but has long been controversial.
“White courage” protested by the Highlanders
During World War II, not all Poles showed heroism. Like everywhere in the world, our history has had its share of shades of gray and sometimes absolute black. In “White Courage”, viewers will be able to learn about the rarely discussed page of the fate of Polish highlanders who adopted various strategies to survive under the Nazi occupation. Some resisted and tried to sabotage the Germans’ actions. Some, however, saw a chance to survive in collaboration – they joined the Goralenvolk and informed on their friends and neighbors.
“White Courage” is already being referred to as “Smarzowski’s second “Wołyń” or Pasikowski’s “Aftermath”, although only a few people have seen the film and the press screenings of the production have only just started. The subject matter itself is polarizing, because it does not present the Polish highlanders as exclusively crystal clear, as can be seen from the production trailer itself:
People in Podhale are afraid of what they will see on the screen. It’s a feature film. There is a fear that it will be very strong, the highlanders do not know how their community will be presented. I understand that. But it makes no sense to blame someone for the actions of their grandparents, says director Marcin Koszałka in an interview with “Gazeta Wyborcza” from Zakopane.
Even before the first slap fell, the production was protested by the Podhale People’s Association and “Góralskie Veto”. The Institute of National Remembrance also spoke, distancing itself from the film:
The IPN was in no way involved in the process of creating the film “White Courage”. No IPN employee is an official historical consultant for the film. At the request of the creators of the picture, an employee of the Institute of National Remembrance in Krakow – an expert in the 20th-century history of Podhale, including the issue of Goralenvolk – critically assessed several preliminary versions of the script, pointing out many errors regarding the historical context, but the Institute of National Remembrance has no influence on whether the creators The film took these comments into account, said Dr. Rafał Leśkiewicz, the IPN spokesman, in December.
In an interview with “Gazeta Wyborcza”, the director emphasizes that he has a positive assessment of Dr. Dawid Golik:
Mr. Golik, as a person competent in Podhale matters, was appointed by the Institute of National Remembrance itself to evaluate the film, which directed the topic from Warsaw to Krakow – says Koszałka, countering the words of the IPN spokesman.
The Association of Podhale People in Poland, in turn, is of the opinion that the topic of the Goralenvolk – practically not discussed in high school history books and marginalized in filmography – “is already known”:
In our opinion, there is no need to delve into this topic. The problem of the Goralenvolk is already known, there have been documentaries and historical studies. We know who participated there and who was responsible for it – said Julian Kowalczyk, president of the main board of the Association of Podhale People in Poland, in an interview with Zakopane.naszemiasto.pl.
The film received funding from the Polish Film Institute, which was not appreciated by, among others, Zbigniew Ziobro, who attacked former Minister of Culture Piotr Gliński.
What is the movie “White Courage” about?
The film will focus on the family story of two brothers, each of whom chose a different path. Andrzej joins the Nazis and tries to convince the highlanders close to him to cooperate with them so that they can avoid the fate of other minorities that the Germans encountered on their way. Maciej has a different opinion and actively opposes the occupation. Contrary to appearances and the belief of the film’s opponents, the white in the title does not refer to the racial issues raised by the Nazis – it is related to the color of magnesia, which climbers rub on their hands, thanks to which they have a better grip on the rocks.
The premiere of “White Courage” is announced for March 8. The main roles were played by Filip Pławiak, Julian Świeżewski, Jakub Gierszał, Sandra Drzymalska, Wiktoria Gorodeckaja and Andrzej Konopka.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
