Megality – historia sprzed 5500 lat (Megaliths – a story from 5500 years ago), directed by Krzysztof Paluszyński, is one of the most-significant films popularising archaeology and the prehistory of the Polish territories. It reveals secrets of Polish lands which are as mysterious as Stonehenge. The film was made in many places in Poland, including two places in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship – the archaeological site in Biskupin and the Wietrzychowice Culture Park, which, together with Stonehenge in the UK and Carnac in France, forms a unique megalith unit in Europe.
Megaliths are monumental objects made from earth and stone, extending up to 150 metres. However, unlike the stone rings in Southern England which attract tourists from all over the world, the Polish megaliths are not so famous; they are only known to a few archaeologists and scientists, local authorities, and citizens, as well as enthusiasts inspired by those ancient times.
The Director presented this interesting, but extinct, world, through the monuments, interviews with archaeologists, anthropologists, VR experts, feature scenes, 3D animations, and the first visualisation of a woman from 5 thousand years ago, whose skeleton was discovered during archaeological excavations. This feature documentary tells the history of the ancient inhabitants of today’s Poland. Apart from its historical value, the film depicts beautiful scenery, production design, and precisely planned framing, and is enriched with an interesting soundtrack.
Trivia
- The film was made in the Wietrzychowice Culture Park in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship.
- It was also filmed in other parts of Poland, such as the Sarnowo Culture Park, the Krzemionki Archaeological Museum and Reserve, the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography in Łódź, the District Museum in Konin, on archaeological sites in Muszkowice and Mrowino, and in the Dolice, Wilczyn, and Ślesin communes.
- Many institutions and organisations took part in the film production, including the Institute Of Archaeology at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the Department of Forensic Medicine at the Karol Marcinkowski Poznań University of Medical Sciences, the Chair of Virtual Engineering at the Poznań University of Technology, the Archaeology Department at the University of Szczecin, the Department of Anthropology at the University of Lodz, the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Wroclaw, The Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology PAS in Kraków, and the Professor Konrad Jażdżewski Archaeological Research Foundation.
- The film premiere in Toruń took place on 4th October 2018 in the “Od Nowa” Culture and Art Centre.
- Its television premiere took place on 25th December 2018 on the TVP Historia channel.
Information on the film
Megality – historia sprzed 5500 lat / Megaliths – a story from 5500 years ago
Poland 2018, 66’
Directing: Krzysztof Paluszyński
Screenplay: Krzysztof Paluszyński
Shooting: Rafał Jerzak, Krzysztof Paluszyński
Music: Marcin Sady
Editing: Mikołaj Drygas
Producer: Krzysztof Paluszyński
