1970 + Liberation Radio

1970: Poland was on the brink of a major uprising. Workers took to the streets in protest against price increases while the militia resorted to using their batons to quell the insurrection. Through the innovative use of animation and archival telephone recordings, 1970 plunges us into the heart of the rebellion yet told from the perspective of the oppressors. The film is preceded by Liberation Radio, a visual and sonic revival of revolutionary broadcasts made by American military deserters in 1968, attempting to persuade other serviceman to desert Vietnam.

‘The plot of the film pivots around telephone calls between politicians and members of the military that took place in the offices of the Ministry of the Interior. Phone calls were placed there from the Provincial Committee of the Polish United Workers’ Party. These phone calls made by communist dignitaries have never been used in a documentary before. By building realistic models and dolls I decided to convey the atmosphere of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the atmosphere of that time. I also wanted the audience to be able to observe the people who had an impact on the events - to experience their fear and the horror of the situation.’

Tomasz Wolski, Director