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“They have courts, television and school system – now y want to take on culture as well,” says Paweł Łysak and says Polish Government of Party Law and Order (PiS). Łysak leads Teatr Powszechny in Warsaw and knows what he is talking about: after all, a piece of his atre was discussed controversial for months, actors were attacked assaulted, festivals and cooperation partners were deprived of funding. Due to an acid attack at beginning of December, stage is currently unusable.
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The background: The Performance Klątwa (The Curse) is based on a piece by Polish artist Stanisław Wyspiański of 1899 and tells story of a village where pastor has a sexual relationship and two children with a girl. Because village is haunted by a large drought wave, one is looking for a scapegoat and stoning young woman – not pastor. In modern adaptation me is taken up and shown, what strong influence church still has in Erzkatholischen Poland.
The critics were most disturbed by a scene in which an actor exercises oral sex on a statue of Pope John Paul II. The premiere took place in February, and shortly reafter a section, of course without any context, was shown in main abendnachrichten of public broadcaster TVP. As a result, atre was besieged by followers of ultraconservative groups, and visitors were attacked. “It was worst in May when we were besieged by several hundred people for three days,” says director Łysak. It is only thanks to enormous police force that nothing worse has happened.
Actor in Nazi costume
“It was biggest atrical scandal of last 10, 20 years – albeit by far not only one”, says Daniel Przastek, who heads Institute of Political Science at University of Warsaw and has written several books on political function of Polish atre. . Until 1989, censorship was order of day, but political interference continued after that: 300 interventions in cultural field have counted and documented Przastek since turn of millennium, and y almost always hang with Catholic Church, recently also with Patriotism toger.
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The first major cultural scandals took place in year 2000, centenary of Galerie Zachęta in heart of Warsaw: once because of a photographic exhibition with actors in Nazi costume, once because of a meteor-struck wax Pope John Paul II, who Ground. Once exhibition had to be terminated prematurely, second time director was fired.
“Since 1989 everything has changed – but not how system culture works. The greatest power over enforcements and promotions still has Ministry of Culture, “says Przastek. This is particularly evident since current government is in power and leaves no stone on or. “Even though most atres, unlike or cultural sectors, are financed by respective municipalities and not directly by Ministry: The Government is using its power to sell its backward-facing history,” said expert.
Everything focuses on past
Especially since 2004, when Warsaw Uprising Museum was opened, he has been observing a new history and cultural policy that has been celebrating a glorious Polish past ever since. “Many believe, after leaving museum, that Poland would have won Warsaw Uprising – and that is also what it wants,” says Przastek. Meanwhile, teenagers, but also adults, are running around in T-shirts with patriotic symbols like eagles, Polish flags and Kotwica, celebrating heroes of Second World War. On post offices re are paperbacks on sales shelves about glorious role of Poland in war.
“Young people are looking for identification and are grateful for victim myth. Politics is fueling this: once it was about future and shaping of society, one now only concentrates on past, “says historian. It is also authoritarian school system that is failing here and tends to prevent critical thinking rar than promoting it.
Meanwhile, government is advancing its understanding of culture: Anor intervention concerned Polish Film Institute PISF. Although Polish filmmaking is both artistic and commercially more successful than ever, PISF director Magdalena Sroka was released in October. Her successor is PiS party friend Radosław Śmigulski, previously film director of TVP government mouthpiece.
