A LONELY WOMAN [1981]
year:
- 1981
release date:
- 30 IX 1987
runtime:
- 92 min
directed by:
- Agnieszka Holland
written by:
- Agnieszka Holland, Maciej Karpiński
director of photography:
- Jacek Petrycki
cast:
- Maria Chwalibóg [Irena Misiak], Bogusław Linda [Jacek Grochala], Paweł Witczak [Boguś, Irena’s son], Danuta Balicka, Bożena Baranowska [a teacher], Łucja Burzyńska, Danuta Gallert, Henryk Hunko [a man at the school meeting], Sława Kwaśniewska [Irena’s aunt], Ryszard Kotys [Władek, Irena’s cousin, god-father of Boguś], Jerzy Kozłowski [security head at the embassy], Bohdana Majda [Jacek’s landlady], Jerzy Matula [Stefan, post office manager], Andrzej Mrozek [a priest]
edited by:
- Roman Kolski
music by:
- Jan Kanty Pawluśkiewicz
production design:
- Jerzy Śnieżawski, Danuta Węgrzyn
produced by:
- Zespół Filmowy „X”, Telewizja Polska
executive producer:
- Jerzy Szebesta
awards:
-
• Polish Feature Film Festival Gdynia 1988: Special Jury Prize for Agnieszka Holland, award for best female performance in a leading role for Maria Chwalibóg, the prize for best performance in a leading role for Bogusław Linda
• Award of the Chairman of the Committee for Radio and Television in 1988 for Maria Chwalibóg
About the film
Irena wakes up in her shabby apartment, leaves her son Boguś, and goes to the post office, where she works as a mail carrier. She brings mail to a lonely young pensioner, Jacek Gruchała, and faints in his apartment − just as drab-looking as hers. Returning home, she watches prisoners working on the railroad tracks, and people queuing in front of shops. Several days later, she meets Jacek in the street, who supplements his meagre disability pension (he had an accident in the mine after which his wife abandoned him) by queuing for other people. Jacek visits Irena in her apartment, where they make love.
At school, Boguś is accused of destroying the May 3rd (Constitution Day) decorations, however the child is unaware what happened. The woman closes her savings account and buys a TV. She receives a telegram informing her of the death of her aunt; she takes the rest of the money to a priest to pay for the last rites. At risk of losing her job, Irena keeps the money she is supposed to deliver to people, leaves Boguś at an orphanage and flees to Jacek. They buy a used car and set off towards the border. After the car crashes, they stop at a hotel; Irena confesses to Jacek that she stole the money. Seeing the woman’s suffering, he suffocates her with a pillow. He then goes to the American Embassy, pretending to be a psychopath with a bomb in his suitcase.
Jan Słodowski, Leksykon polskich filmów fabularnych, Warszawa 1996
