Visions of Avant-Garde Film : Polish Cinematic Experiments From Expressionism to Constructivism

Warsaw- And London-based Filmmakers Franciszka And Stefan Themerson Are Often Recognized Internationally As Pioneers Of The 1930s Polish Avant-garde. Yet, From The Turn Of The Century To The End Of The 1920s, Poland's Literary And Art Scenes Were Also Producing A Rich Array Of Criticism And Early Experiments With The Moving Image That Set The Stage For Later Developments In The Avant-garde. In This Comprehensive And Accessible Study, Kamila Kuc Draws On Myriad Undiscovered Archival Sources To Tell The History Of Early Polish Avant-garde Movements-symbolism, Expressionism, Futurism, And Constructivism-and To Reveal Their Impact On Later Practices In Art Cinema. Introduction -- Protocinematic Phase: The Pioneers (1896-1918). The Cinematograph And Historical Consciousness: Actualities As The Earliest Experiments With Film In The Polish Territories -- Discovering Medium Specificity: The First Polish Claims For Film As Art -- The First Polish Experiment With Film: Feliks Kuczkowski's Animation In The Context Of The International Avant-garde -- Polish Avant-garde Movements And Film (1919-1945). Karol Irzykowski's Tenth Muse: Animated Film As The Highest Form Of Film Art -- The Theoretical Apparatus: Polish Futurism And Avant-garde Film -- Polish Avant-garde Films, Discourses, And The Concept Of Photogenie -- Polish Avant-garde Film And Constructivism -- Conclusion. Kamila Kuc. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover -- VISIONS OF AVANT-GARDE FILM -- Title -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Part I. Protocinematic Phase: The Pioneers (1896-1918) -- 1 "The Cinematograph" and Historical Consciousness: Actualities as the Earliest Experiments with Film in the Polish Territories -- 2 Discovering Medium Specificity: The First Polish Claims for Film as Art -- 3 The Earliest Polish Experiment with Artist Film: Feliks Kuczkowski's Animation in the Context of the International Avant-Garde -- Part II. Polish Avant-Garde Movements and Film (1919-1945) -- 4 Karol Irzykowski's Tenth Muse: Animated Film as the Highest Form of Film Art -- 5 The Theoretical Apparatus: Polish Futurism and Avant-Garde Film -- 6 Polish Avant-Garde Films, Discourses, and the Concept of Photogénie -- 7 Polish Avant-Garde Film and Constructivism -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index

Warsaw- and London-based filmmakers Franciszka and Stefan Themerson are often recognized internationally as pioneers of the 1930s Polish avant-garde. Yet, from the turn of the century to the end of the 1920s, Poland's literary and art scenes were also producing a rich array of criticism and early experiments with the moving image that set the stage for later developments in the avant-garde. In this comprehensive and accessible study, Kamila Kuc draws on myriad undiscovered archival sources to tell the history of early Polish avant-garde movements—Symbolism, Expressionism, Futurism, and Constructivism—and to reveal their impact on later practices in art cinema.