CHĘCIŃSKI, SYLWESTER

(1930-)

   Director of popular feature films. After working as an assistant director for Stanisław Lenartowicz and Andrzej Wajda, Chęciński directed The Story of the Golden Boot (Historia żółtej ciżemki, 1961), a children's film that became internationally honored. Although Chęciński worked in different genres, his greatest successes came in comedy. His filmic trilogy—All among Ourselves (aka Our Folks, Sami swoi, 1967), Big Deal (Nie ma mocnych, 1974), and Love It or Leave It (Kochaj albo rzuć, 1977)—is now considered classic and proved to be an enormous box-office success.The three films, scripted by Andrzej Mularczyk, are structured around a feud between two families who, due to postwar politics and changing borders, were transplanted from their eastern village to the Polish western "Regained Lands." In 1992 Chęciński released another successful comedy, Controlled Conversations (Rożmowy kontrolowane), scripted by Stanisław Tym (who also acted the main role). The film, set shortly before and after the implementation of martial law in Poland in 1981, mocks Polish-style heroism and worn-out romantic gestures in the tradition of Andrzej Munk's antiheroic Eroica (1958). Chęciński's films also include a crime film starring Ryszard Filipski, Only the Dead Will Answer (Tylko umarły odpowie, 1969); a popular television series with Wiesław Gołas, The Road (Droga, 1973); and a family drama, Roman and Magda (Roman i Magda, 1978). In 1983 he released the popular crime drama The Big Rook (Wielki sżu, 1983), starring Jan Nowicki.

   Other films: Agnieszka 46 (1964), Catastrophe (Katastrofa, 1965), The Legend (Legenda, 1970), Because I Went Craży for Her (Bo oszalałem dla niej, TV, 1980), The Uhlans Have Arrived (Przybyli ułani, TV, 2005).

   Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema by Marek Haltof