11 listopada (film)
Encyclopedia
11 listopada is a 2008 Polish
war film
directed by Kamil Kulczycki and Urszula Szałata. The film presents a series of events which led to the first execution of civilians in occupied Poland.
. It tells the story of a group of Scouts from Zielonka
, a small town near Warsaw
, who, finding themselves unable to come to terms with the German occupation, decided to continue in secret their scouting activity. One night, on the eve of 11 November 1939 (Polish Independence Day
), they put up in the streets of the town 15 hand-made posters with the text of Rota
(The Oath), a poem and an anthem
by Maria Konopnicka
. In the gloomy reality of the German occupation this act was supposed to express hope. Perhaps they were dreaming of a moment of hesitation from a passer-by, rising hearts, a kind smile at this manifestation of national solidarity.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
directed by Kamil Kulczycki and Urszula Szałata. The film presents a series of events which led to the first execution of civilians in occupied Poland.
Plot
The 11th of November is set shortly before and at the beginning of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It tells the story of a group of Scouts from Zielonka
Zielonka
Zielonka is a town in Wołomin County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 17,075 inhabitants . It is located about 13 km to the north-east of the centre of Warsaw.City rights since 1960.-Objects:3 primary schoolsa junior high school...
, a small town near Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, who, finding themselves unable to come to terms with the German occupation, decided to continue in secret their scouting activity. One night, on the eve of 11 November 1939 (Polish Independence Day
Polish Independence Day
National Independence Day is a public holiday in Poland celebrated every year on 11 November to commemorate the anniversary of Poland's assumption of independent statehood in 1918 after 123 years of partition by Russia, Prussia and Austria....
), they put up in the streets of the town 15 hand-made posters with the text of Rota
Rota (poem)
Rota is an early 20th-century Polish poem and anthem, once proposed to be the Polish national anthem.-History:Rotas lyrics were written in 1908 by Maria Konopnicka...
(The Oath), a poem and an anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
by Maria Konopnicka
Maria Konopnicka
Maria Konopnicka nee Wasiłowska , was a Polish poet, novelist, writer for children and youth, a translator, journalist and critic, as well as an activist for women's rights and Polish independence.Maria Konopnicka also composed a poem about the execution of the Irish patriot, Robert...
. In the gloomy reality of the German occupation this act was supposed to express hope. Perhaps they were dreaming of a moment of hesitation from a passer-by, rising hearts, a kind smile at this manifestation of national solidarity.
Cast
- Maciej Skowronek as Jan Rudzki
- Artur Jarząbek as Kazimierz Stawiarski
- Mariusz Domagała as Stanisław Golcz
- Bartosz Kulikowski as Zbigniew Dymek
- Paweł Marczuk as Józef Wyrzykowski
- Sławomir Koc as Józef Kulczycki