Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema

Marek Haltof is professor at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. He has published several books, among them Polish Film and the Holocaust: Politics and Memory (2012), The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski: Variations on Destiny and Chance (2004) and Polish National Cinema (2002).

• Editor’s Foreword, Jon WoronoffPrefaceAcknowledgmentsReader’s NoteChronologyAcronyms and AbbreviationsIntroductionTHE DICTIONARYAppendix A: Twenty-Five Biggest Box-Office Hits on Polish Screens from 1945 to 1989Appendix B: Twenty-Five Biggest Box-Office Hits on Polish Screens from 1989 to 2013Appendix C: Twenty Best Polish Television FilmsBibliographyAbout the Author

Fully updated, this new edition by Haltof, who also penned the first edition in 2007 as well as other notable studies of the cinema in Poland—including Polish Film and the Holocaust and The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski —here provides an excellent survey of Polish film from 1895 through 2014. The work includes a chronology of major events in Polish cinema along with the historical context. The 315 entries, which range from half a page to four pages, cover specific films, leading actors, directors, film schools and movements, and studios. Other entries discuss notable genres and themes, such as one on 'Gay and Lesbian Cinema.' Of particular note are the comprehensive entries on the Polish School of filmmaking and the representation of the Holocaust. Entries for specific films are listed under their English titles, making this work easily accessible to readers who lack Polish-language skills. The work includes appendixes noting top television films and box office hits from 1945 to 2013 along with numbers of viewers, although the author's source for such viewership data is not indicated. The outstanding 58-page bibliography is organized by subject and provides references to print and online resources in both English and Polish. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty.