- Company
Apio Film - Occupation
Producer, Director - Country
Poland
Augustynek Piotr
The Unsubmissive
The main hero of The Unsubmissive is Father Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski, the author of the famous book on the infiltration of the Cracow Archdiocese clergymen by the communist-era secret services - "Priests in the Face of the Security Services". The book, in which the author revealed the truth on the topic of cooperation of some clergymen with the communist secret services, raised huge controversies even before it was published. The film follows the events that accompanied work over the book, it shows the fight of Father Zaleski for the right to say the truth but also the resistance he faced from the Church hierarchs. That is why it becomes a testimony of the discussion over the legitimacy and methods for evaluating the past, and over the attitude that the Polish Church should have towards its own complicated past.
The main hero of The Unsubmissive is Father Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski, the author of the famous book on the infiltration of the Cracow Archdiocese clergymen by the communist-era secret services - "Priests in the Face of the Security Services". The book, in which the author revealed the truth on the topic of cooperation of some clergymen with the communist secret services, raised huge controversies even before it was published. The film follows the events that accompanied work over the book, it shows the fight of Father Zaleski for the right to say the truth but also the resistance he faced from the Church hierarchs. That is why it becomes a testimony of the discussion over the legitimacy and methods for evaluating the past, and over the attitude that the Polish Church should have towards its own complicated past.
Conservators of Remembrance
Mirek and Margritt, young art conservators, find work in the former Nazi extermination camp in Oświęcim. Being prepared to preserve works of art and cultural relics, they suddenly face the need to save the items bearing the testimony of one of the largest crimes in the history of mankind from the destructive influence of passing time. Their work is funded by 22 countries of the world, which feel that preservation of the authenticity of this place to provide a warning for future generations is their humane obligation. A film about devoting one's passion to activities which oppose racism, anti-Semitism and any displays of hatred, but also a movie about intangible costs borne by young people in order to preserve the silent scream encased in the items from Auschwitz. Using a film camera, we would like to record those few moments in which the bridge of remembrance between "now" and "then" is being built. Being as inconspicuous as possible we would like to participate in the process of saving an object from deteriorating over the course of time. Various objects and buildings are going to be preserved within about a year under a 15-year programme starting in 2012 and financed by the Endowment Fund of Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. 22 countries of the world have provided funds for rescuing this Place of Remembrance against the destructive passage of time. The means that in the eyes of the civilised world of the 21st century, the Nazi crime is a historical fact, which requires to be saved from oblivion, not only because of our duty to remember those who perished but also to provide a warning for future generations. Mirek and Margritt are the key link of this process, which has involved the governments of so many countries.
Mirek and Margritt, young art conservators, find work in the former Nazi extermination camp in Oświęcim. Being prepared to preserve works of art and cultural relics, they suddenly face the need to save the items bearing the testimony of one of the largest crimes in the history of mankind from the destructive influence of passing time. Their work is funded by 22 countries of the world, which feel that preservation of the authenticity of this place to provide a warning for future generations is their humane obligation. A film about devoting one's passion to activities which oppose racism, anti-Semitism and any displays of hatred, but also a movie about intangible costs borne by young people in order to preserve the silent scream encased in the items from Auschwitz. Using a film camera, we would like to record those few moments in which the bridge of remembrance between "now" and "then" is being built. Being as inconspicuous as possible we would like to participate in the process of saving an object from deteriorating over the course of time. Various objects and buildings are going to be preserved within about a year under a 15-year programme starting in 2012 and financed by the Endowment Fund of Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. 22 countries of the world have provided funds for rescuing this Place of Remembrance against the destructive passage of time. The means that in the eyes of the civilised world of the 21st century, the Nazi crime is a historical fact, which requires to be saved from oblivion, not only because of our duty to remember those who perished but also to provide a warning for future generations. Mirek and Margritt are the key link of this process, which has involved the governments of so many countries.
Piotr Augustynek is an experienced documentary film maker and cameraman. Since 1980 a documentary photographer, since 1986 also the author of film documentation of current events, since 1996 the owner of Apio Film. Member of the Polish Filmmakers Association and the Union of Authors and Audiovisual Producers. Winner of prizes on national and international photographic competitions. Cooperated on a few dozen of documentary films as a cinematographer. Was co-author of a feature documentary film about the history of political prisoners from the first transport brought to Oświęcim from Tarnów on 14 June 1940 entitled "A recipe for surviva". In 2001 was a cameraman for Marcel Łoziński and Andrzej Wajda's film (artistic guidance by Steven Spielberg) entitled "I remember", which won the Grand Prix on the International Film Festival "Jewish Motifs" in Warsaw. Laureate of an honorary diploma assigned by the Foundation established by Steven Spielberg Survivors of The Shoah – Visual History Foundation. In 2010 directed and produced a documentary film about Karol Wojtyła's - the future Pope John Paul II's mountain hikes and canoe trips entitled "In the footsteps of the uncle"(distributed in cinemas and TV’s). Has produced information materials for European TV stations.
Apio Film
Grunwaldzka 25 d
30-020 Wieliczka APIO FILM is one of the first independent film and TV production companies in Poland. Its founder, Piotr Augustynek, as DOP, director and producer, has been strongly involved in the subject matter of conscious and independent Poland. Even during the martial law in Poland in 1981 he produced documents about the actions of the anti-communist opposition. These materials were disseminated in Polish underground circulation and transferred to western TV stations (NBC, ANTENNE 2). Nowadays many materials recorded by him are broadcast by ARD, WDR, NDR, Reuters, BBC, BRT, 3 SAT, SKY NEWS. He is the DOP and producer of many documentary films devoted to people who are outstanding (e.g. A. Wajda, B. Chromy, J. Mehoffer) or significant for the European culture (John Paul II, K. Arciszewski) or historical events (the history of the first transport of Polish prisoners to Auschwitz). He specializes in topics deeply rooted in the past but strongly affecting the awareness of the contemporary world.
Grunwaldzka 25 d
30-020 Wieliczka APIO FILM is one of the first independent film and TV production companies in Poland. Its founder, Piotr Augustynek, as DOP, director and producer, has been strongly involved in the subject matter of conscious and independent Poland. Even during the martial law in Poland in 1981 he produced documents about the actions of the anti-communist opposition. These materials were disseminated in Polish underground circulation and transferred to western TV stations (NBC, ANTENNE 2). Nowadays many materials recorded by him are broadcast by ARD, WDR, NDR, Reuters, BBC, BRT, 3 SAT, SKY NEWS. He is the DOP and producer of many documentary films devoted to people who are outstanding (e.g. A. Wajda, B. Chromy, J. Mehoffer) or significant for the European culture (John Paul II, K. Arciszewski) or historical events (the history of the first transport of Polish prisoners to Auschwitz). He specializes in topics deeply rooted in the past but strongly affecting the awareness of the contemporary world.
