THE STAFF

Romek starts his first job, which is in the costume-making shop of Breslau Opera. His initial fascination with the theatrical world soon gives way to the realisation that behind the scenes people are no different from anywhere else: Intrigues and nasty tricks rule the day. Caught up in a running battle between artists and technicians, Romek is forced to choose between betraying a friend or displaying courage and accepting the consequences of his action. Shot in the style of an on-the-spot report and demonstrating a fine instinct for authentic-seeming situations and dialogue, Kieœlowski’s full-length debut depicts the young man’s dilemma as a universal ethical parable. The film sparked off the “cinema of moral anxiety” movement (1976-1980). Main Prize International Filmfestival Mannheim.