Passenger (Polish: Pasa?erka) is a 1963 Polish feature film directed by Andrzej Munk. When Munk died in a car crash during production, the unfinished film was assembled for release by directors Witold Lesiewicz and Andrzej Brzozowski.
Passenger | |
---|---|
Directed by | Andrzej Munk Witold Lesiewicz |
Written by | Andrzej Munk Zofia Posmysz-Piasecka |
Starring | Aleksandra ?l?ska |
Cinematography | Krzysztof Winiewicz |
Edited by | Zofia Dwornik |
Release date | 1963 |
Running time | 62 minutes |
Country | Poland |
Language | Polish |
Passenger, using the form of a documentary, relates the experiences of one female SS officer (played by Aleksandra ?l?ska) serving at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II, as well as her relationship with an inmate, Marta (played by Anna Ciepielewska), whose life she manages to save on occasion.
Screenplay
Munk died in a car accident while the film was in production and the completed scenes were combined from parts of original footage and screenplay sketches by Witold Lesiewicz. The methods used are explained in a voiceover during the course of the film, so its unfinished state itself takes a documentary form. Parts of the film were shot at Auschwitz. The source was a radio drama Passenger from Cabin Number 45, written by Zofia Posmysz-Piasecka in 1959. Posmysz's play was later reworked into a novel. It was published in 1962 as Pasa?erka.
- Aleksandra ?l?ska - Lisa Kretschmer, former SS Aufseherin at Auschwitz
- Anna Ciepielewska - Marta, the Polish inmate
- Janusz Bylczynski - Capo
- Krystyna Dubielowna
- Anna Golebiowska - Auschwitz Prisoner
- Barbara Horawianka - Nurse
- Anna Jaraczówna - Capo
- Maria Koscialkowska - Guard, Inga Weniger
- Andrzej Krasicki - Commission Member
- Jan Kreczmar - Walter Kretschmer, Lisa's husband
- Irena Malkiewicz - Oberaufseherin Madel
- Izabella Olszewska
- Leon Pietraszkiewicz - Lagerkommandant Grabner
- Kazimierz Rudzki - Commission Member
- Wanda Swaryczewska
The film Passenger was entered into the 1964 Cannes Film Festival where it won a FIPRESCI Award. The film was also selected as the Polish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 37th Academy Awards.
- List of submissions to the 37th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Polish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film