“It is hard for me to believe that no-one has made this film before” – the words spoken by Ryszard Kruk, Director of the film, best summarise the scale of his endeavour.
In the mid-1970s, a thriving independent student’s artistic community started its life in Toruń, which centred on the Od Nowa Student Club. As part of that artistic melting pot, a group of friends started a band named Res Publica. The film portrays the largely unknown beginnings of the band started by Wiesław Ruciński, who would later go by the stage name of Jan Castor, when the band was transformed into Republika under the artistic leadership of Grzegorz Ciechowski. The film ends with the breaking up of the first line-up, which happened in 1986. It is a piece of a solid independent documentary, made on a small budget. The film Director chose to paint an author’s impressionistic work, using his camera. The film makes use of interesting and little-known film and music archives, as well as a selection of Res Publica photos, which had not been published before.
Where was it filmed?
In the film, we see a number of locations connected with the musicians of Republika. Some of them were shot in Toruń, including the Od Nowa Club at ul. Gagarina 37a, and a private rehearsal room of drummer Sławomir Ciesielski. A number of shoots were also filmed in the apartment of Bogdan Hołownia, a popular jazz musician.
Other locations used in the film include the Znaki Czasu (Signs of the Times) Centre Of Contemporary Art in Toruń, the cellars in the Arthus House, the Jordanki Cultural and Congress Centre, the Evangelical Church in the New-Town Market Square, and the NRD Club.
Information on the film
Republika. Narodziny legendy
Poland 2017, 52′
Directed by: Ryszard Kruk
Screenplay: Ryszard Kruk
Cinematography: Kajetan Pochylski, Ryszard Kruk, Wojciech Budny
Producer: Krzysztof Wachowiak
Produced by: Fundacja Nie.Art
Cast: Grzegorz Ciechowski, Sławomir Ciesielski, Paweł Kuczyński, Andrzej Ludew, Anna Skrobiszewska, Waldemar Rudziecki, Grzegorz Kopcewicz, Zbigniew Ostrowski, Andrzej Kobra Kraiński, and others.
http//www.republikafilm.pl
https//www.facebook.com/republika.narodziny.legendy/
