Austin Polish Society presents the Pola Negri Film Festival – “Early Years”.
Pola Negri (1897-1987), the famous silent film star was born Barbara Apolonia Chalupiec in Poland and started her career in Warsaw theatres. She made her first movie in Poland in 1914, with eight other by 1917. Then she reinvented herself as a film actress in Germany. From 1917 to 1921 she made 24 movies there and her international career took off for good. She was the first big European star imported to Hollywood in 1923, with other German stars such as Greta Garbo to Marlena Dietrich to follow later. She died in Austin, where she spent the last three decades of her life.
The festival program includes online screenings, and a series of articles and interviews about Pola Negri.
In particular, a panel discussion in Polish about Pola Negri and her perception in the modern world is scheduled for 2 pm on Sunday, May 23, 2021. The panelist include: Mariusz Kotowski – director of documentaries about the actress, Kazimierz Braun – author of a biopic play about Negri, Dorota Łańcucka – founder of a Negri museum, a representative of the Museum o Cinematography in Łódź and others.
The following films will be available for viewing without territorial restrictions:
- Pola Negri: a Life of a Star (2017), a documentary directed by Mariusz Kotowski
- The Polish Dancer / Bestia (1917), dir. Aleksander Hertz
- The Yellow Ticket / Der gelbe Schein (1918), dir. Victor Janson
- Eyes of Mummy Ma / Die Augen der Mumie Ma (1918), dir. Ernst Lubitch
- Sappho (1921), dir. Dimitri Buchowetzki
The four early films starring Pola Negri were digitized and edited by Mariusz Kotowski’s Bright Shining City Productions and in the DVD box set: Pola Negri: The Iconic Collection.
More: Austin PFF site, Pola Negri bio, Bestia i inne – o festiwalu … (PL), Festiwal Poli Negri w Austin (PL)
Tickets: the festival pass is free of charge