Kino Iluzjon of the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute invites you to KINO Z PÓŁOBROTU: a series dedicated to martial arts films. Kino Iluzjon, 50A Ludwika Narbutta Street, Warsaw Asian martial arts cinema is today considered a niche – a subject of interest for cinephiles with a particular taste, fans of on-screen acrobatics, unorthodox traditions, and genre nonchalance. In reality, its influence on the global shape of contemporary pop culture is hard to overestimate. The style developed in mythical, sophisticated wuxia films, and later in more realistic and physical kung-fu cinema, has been absorbed into the international language of action cinema. From films with Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, or Jean-Claude Van Damme, through the Bourne and John Wick series, to superhero blockbusters – it’s hard to imagine what we would have been watching on screen over the past decades without this multi-layered legacy. Thanks to it, clumsy, heavy-handed brawls from Western saloons were replaced with precise kicks and spectacular body acrobatics elevated to the level of art. The global fascination with Asian martial arts exploded in the early 1970s, eventually reaching Poland as well. Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee – the first Hong Kong-Hollywood co-production – turned out to be one of the biggest box office successes in post-war cinema history. From June 1982, in just a few months, the film was watched by 6.7 million viewers in Poland – some die-hard fans queued up at the cinema dozens of times. In the USA, this classic remained in the top 20 for eleven weeks, including nine weeks in the top ten. It is certainly worth rekindling this fascination today – both for the visual and emotional pleasure derived from the physical spectacle, the art of "bare hands" instead of firearms, and for the attempt to understand cultural influences or the continuity of culture, where no phenomenon exists in a vacuum. Before your next Matrix screening, it’s worth watching at least one film directed by Yuen Woo Ping, a martial arts veteran and choreographer whom Hollywood brought in to work on the Wachowskis’ blockbuster; before revisiting Kill Bill, indulge in the extraordinary creativity of the films Tarantino paid homage to; compare the beginnings of auteur wuxia cinema with its contemporary incarnation. Finally, discover that the history of martial arts cinema is not just about duels between male masters but also about female warriors who have spectacularly broken the yanggang convention – a decidedly male-dominated cinema. 🎥 3.10 | 20:00 "Enter the Dragon," dir. Robert Clouse, Hong Kong, USA, 1973, 102 min. A cult film starring Bruce Lee that forever changed the face of martial arts cinema and sparked a global "kung-fu craze." Enter the Dragon was Hollywood’s first attempt in this field. To appeal to American audiences, a cultural mishmash was created. Bruce Lee starred alongside two American actors, and the plot itself mimics James Bond films – centering on a protagonist recruited by British intelligence to infiltrate a tournament on a mysterious island. A pre-screening lecture will be given by Dorota Jędrzejewska-Szpak – editor of the magazine "Ekrany," particularly interested in feminist themes in genre cinema, which she writes about on the fan page "Z moich ust" and discusses in the podcast "Kobiety i gatunki." 🎥 4.10 | 20:30 "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," dir. Ang Lee, China, USA, Taiwan, Hong Kong, 2000, 120 min. A poetic tale of love, honor, and revenge set in the world of imperial China. Martial arts master Li Mu Bai decides to hand over his Green Destiny sword to a temple, but the weapon is stolen by a mysterious thief. Meanwhile, the master’s former love and legendary warrior Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) befriends a young woman who is set to marry a man from an influential family but secretly dreams of freedom. The characters’ desires clash with tradition, which both organizes and complicates life. A pre-screening lecture will be given by Marcin Krasnowolski – film scholar, journalist, and selector of the Five Flavors Film Festival. 🎥 8.10 | 20:00 "The Matrix," dir. Lana & Lilly Wachowski, USA, 1999, 136 min. Hacker Neo faces a choice: he can continue his life as it is or learn the truth about the world. Choosing the latter, he awakens to discover that what he thought was reality is merely an illusion. A pre-screening lecture will be given by Dorota Jędrzejewska-Szpak – editor of the magazine "Ekrany." 🎥 10.10 | 20:00 "The Bride with White Hair," dir. Ronny Yu, Hong Kong, 1993, 92 min. The Bride with White Hair has much in common with Romeo and Juliet. The lovers from feuding clans are a sensitive and tender warrior trained to be a leader (played by the excellent Leslie Cheung) and the mysterious Lian, an orphan raised by wolves and a member of an evil cult led by sinister Siamese twins (Brigitte Lin, known as the Woman in the White Wig from Chungking Express). The couple decides to lay down their arms and lead a normal life, which, of course, ends in tragedy. A pre-screening lecture will be given by Dorota Jędrzejewska-Szpak – editor of the magazine "Ekrany," particularly interested in feminist themes in genre cinema, which she writes about on the fan page "Z moich ust" and discusses in the podcast "Kobiety i gatunki." 🎥 11.10 | 11:00 "Kung Fu Panda," animated film, dir. Mark Osborne, John Stevenson, USA, 2008, 92 min. Po the panda works in his father’s noodle shop. However, his ambitions go beyond the restaurant walls. He dreams of meeting the legendary kung-fu fighters: Tigress, Monkey, Viper, Mantis, and Crane. Each of them possesses unique skills and years of training under the strict Shifu. When danger looms and the fearsome Tai Lung gains possession of the Dragon Scroll, unexpectedly, the clumsy Po may turn out to be the savior. He just needs to learn the secret of kung-fu masters. 🎥 11.10 | 19:00 "Dragon Inn," dir. King Hu, Hong Kong, Taiwan, 1967, 111 min. 15th century, China. The Minister of Defense is sentenced to death for treason due to a conspiracy, and his children are exiled from the empire. Agents of the emperor’s chief eunuch pursue the children to ensure they never avenge their father. A mysterious man unexpectedly comes to the children’s defense. The final showdown takes place at the Dragon Inn, where arrows, knives, people, and chopsticks will fly through the air. A pre-screening lecture will be given by Marcin Krasnowolski – film scholar, journalist, and selector of the Five Flavors Film Festival. 🎥 17.10 | 17:00 "The Heroic Trio," dir. Johnnie To, Hong Kong, 1993, 88 min. In The Heroic Trio, Johnnie To brings together three great stars – Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui, and Maggie Cheung – forming a team reminiscent of Charlie’s Angels, but without male leadership. Fearless women join forces to confront a wicked eunuch, a child kidnapper, who is trying to terrorize a futuristic city. A pre-screening lecture will be given by Dorota Jędrzejewska-Szpak – editor of the magazine "Ekrany," particularly interested in feminist themes in genre cinema, which she writes about on the fan page "Z moich ust" and discusses in the podcast "Kobiety i gatunki." 🎥 18.10 | 19:00 "Polite Society," dir. Nida Manzoor, United Kingdom, 2023, 104 min. A lively action comedy where Bollywood meets martial arts. A pre-screening lecture will be given by film scholar Alicja Nowacka. 🎥 23.10 | 20:00 "Bloodsport," dir. Newt Arnold, USA, 1988, 92 min. Frank Dux deserts the army to participate in an illegal, exceptionally brutal kumite tournament held in Hong Kong. A pre-screening lecture will be given by Dorota Jędrzejewska-Szpak – editor of the magazine "Ekrany," particularly interested in feminist themes in genre cinema, which she writes about on the fan page "Z moich ust" and discusses in the podcast "Kobiety i gatunki." 🎥 24.10 | 19:00 "Kill Bill," dir. Quentin Tarantino, USA, 2003, 111 min. The first part of the cult revenge saga about a former assassin (Uma Thurman). A pre-screening lecture will be given by film scholar Alicja Nowacka. 🎥 24.10 | 21:30 "Kill Bill: Vol. 2," dir. Quentin Tarantino, USA, 2003, 2004, 137 min. The second part of the Bride’s (Uma Thurman) revenge story. A pre-screening lecture will be given by film scholar Alicja Nowacka. Tickets are available at the box office and online on the Kino Iluzjon website. We invite you!
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