Political scientists and historians have been debating for four decades why Poland was the first country in Eastern Europe to begin the process of breaking away from the communist bloc. The first of these causes, quite rightly, is the ascension in 1978 to the papal seat of the Polish cardinal Karol Jozef Wojtila as Pope John Paul II. I think that to this it must be added the existence of an intellectuality and of groups of highly talented and influential artists, whose liberal positions have resulted in critical works of art, reflecting the reality of Poland with its problems. The most famous names were the film directors Andrzej Wajda and Krzysztof Kieslowski. ‘Amator‘ (or ‘Camera Buff’ as the title was translated into English), made by Kieslowski in 1979, was his second feature film, already a maturity movie, which included a strong personal touch and was emphasizing the signs of the crisis of the Polish communist society entering its last decade of existence.
The best political films are not explicit manifests, and ‘Amator‘ is one of them. It is before anything else a film that talks about the passion for cinema. The hero is a small clerk from a provincial town named Filip Mosz (beautifully interpreted by actor Jerzy Stuhr ) who at the birth of his daughter decides to buy an amateur video camera to immortalize the beginning of life and the evolution of his child. A contest of circumstances causes our hero to be asked to film the visit of dignitaries from the ‘center’ in the factory where he works, which triggers his passion doubled by a talent he did not know for the filmed image. From here, this fascination will occupy an increasingly important place in his life, until he is completely absorbed into it. But the filmed image also has a power that our hero did not know. Filmed image can reflect the lives of people as they live it, and the reality with all its aspects, some gray or even dark. The filmed truth can become a problem for those behind the cameras. It can become a mirror of the lives of others, but it can also destroy lives. Until one is completely absorbed in this job these dangers are not obvious, but once the threshold is crossed it may be too late.
The cinematographic execution is impeccable. The film also benefits from the presence of two of Kieslowski’s generation colleagues, film director Krzysztof Zanussi and television anchor Andrzej Jurga, who play their own roles, integrating the film’s imaginary plot into the reality of 1979 Poland. I dare say that ‘Amator‘ is the first masterpiece by Kieslowski, the beginning of an extraordinary and painstakingly short artistic career.