Edyta Maksymowicz from Vilnius – the prize winner of the Second Film Festival in Zamość

Reportage of Vilnius journalist Edyta Maksymowicz titled “Oblicza naszej i waszej wolności” (lit. Faces of our and your freedom) has won the main prize in the „reportage” category at the Second Film Festival „Meetings with history” in Zamość.

Edyta Maksymowicz received the award – a statuette called: “Zamość – the Pearl of the Renaissance” – from director Janusz Zaorski on 16^th August on a stage built at the Main Market Square in Zamość.

“I received the award, but the film is a joint effort of members of our centre, Walenty Wojniłło and Jan Wierbiel, just to name two of them. The most important thing is that Vilnius was recognized on such a level. Today finding the place of Vilnius in the consciousness of Poles, especially of the young generation, is becoming more and more difficult task” – wrote the journalist on her social networking site.

The film of Edyta Maksymowicz is a story about life of people immortalized in the photographs which are kept in the Lithuanian Historical Archive. Three albums from around the middle of the XIX century contain 800 photographs which are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. These photographs were taken at the order of general Muraviov, known as “Wieszaciel” (lit. The Gallows), at a time when cost of taking a photo was equal to the value of a horse. The general decided to immortalize the executioners and… the victims of his repressions.

As the journalist emphasized, she already received invitations to few schools in Poland where she would present the film and give the author’s commentary.

In total, 35 films were submitted to the Festival. A film of Zdzisław Cozac “Miasto Ztopionych Bogów” (lit. City of the drowned Gods) and a film of Michał Bielawski „Munidal. Gra o wszystko” (lit. World Cup. Everything’s at stake) were awarded in the “best documentary” category.

Krzysztof Zanussi and Krzesimir Dębski were awarded for recognition of distinguished service to the Polish historical cinematography.

The Film Festival “Meetings with history” in Zamość is a joint initiative of TVP Historia, the “Stylowy” Film Culture Centre in Zamość and the city of Zamość.