Kieslowski's Decalogue. News from Hollywood Jesus.

This is exciting news at Hollywood Jesus!
This is a powerful film series. I can not wait for it's release.
-David Bruce

FACETS ANNOUNCES
THE VIDEO RELEASE OF THE CENTURY - KIESLOWSKI'S THE DECALOGUE

The most sought-after film on video, Krzysztof Kieslowski's The Decalogue, a modern cinematic masterpiece, will make its home video debut March 28, 2000 exclusively from Facets Multimedia, 1517 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. The Decalogue will be available for a limited time only.

Called "easily one of the century's greatest films," (Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune), the subject of the ten individual films which make up The Decalogue is nothing less than the Ten Commandments. Working completely against the trend of action-based or psychological filmmaking, Kieslowski uses modern contexts to examine the fundamental and timeless issues of human existence.

Created for Polish Television in 1988-89, this extraordinary series of 10 films (each of which is one hour in length) became what the New York Times called "the most acclaimed cinematic event in Europe" and was "coveted by nearly every festival in sight" (Variety). The Decalogue also ran theatrically in selected U.S. cities to sell-out audiences and universal critical acclaim.

Krzysztof Kieslowski, whose untimely death in 1996 brought to an end a remarkable international career, is best known for his feature films Double Life of Veronique and the trilogy Three Colors: Blue, White, Red. For The Decalogue, which he co-wrote with Krzysztof Piesiewicz, Kieslowski assembled a unique team of the best collaborators in contemporary cinema. Nine noted cinematographers shot the individual films; the brilliant contemporary composer Zbigniew Preisner wrote the haunting musical score.

Each segment of the Decalogue takes place in the present, all are shot in the same high-rise apartment building in a middle-class section of Warsaw. Each of the stories is simply numbered, without a direct reference to the corresponding commandment which underlies the story. Kieslowski preferred to allow the viewer to come to his/her own moral and ethical conclusions based on the story.

The magnitude, complexity, and universality of The Decalogue is nothing short of staggering. In one of the best-known episodes (Number V, based on "Thou shalt not kill"), an aimless, unemployed young man brutally robs and murders a taxi driver. He is caught, sentenced, and hanged by the State. In a searingly powerful stab at the root of death penalty issues, Kieslowski posits the opposites of individual and collectively sanctioned taking of a life. The episode is hauntingly shot in monochromatic yellows and grays by Slawomir Idziak.

In Episode I ("Thou shalt have no other gods before me"), a caring father, played by the acclaimed theatre director Henryk Baranowski, places his faith in his computer to calculate the thickness of ice on a pond by his apartment building. It is only when his young, inquisitive son is missing while ice skating on the pond that the moral issue is called to question.

In all of the episodes of The Decalogue, Kieslowski's approach, which has generated both critical and intense popular reaction, is distinguished by his successful weaving of the familiar, age-old "rules" into the fabric of everyday modern life. The Decalogue provides contemporary audiences with timeless ethical and moral guidelines for today.

The Decalogue is a multiple award winner, including the FIPRESCI award at the Venice Film Festival, Best Foreign Language Film from the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Award at São Paulo International Film Festival. A Short Film About Killing, a longer version of Episode V, won the Jury Special Prize at the Cannes Film Festival as well as Best Film at the European Film Awards. A Short Film about Love won the Special Jury Prize at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, and the Audience Award at the São Paulo International Film Festival. Praised as "a stunning success," "a modern masterpiece," (Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune) The Decalogue is indeed "a rare film work mixing high ambition and almost faultless achievement." and "an extraordinary, memorable series." (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times).

The Decalogue is in the Polish language with English subtitles. Facets will release The Decalogue as a 5 volume, slipcase set, with two episodes per cassette.

Retail price is $99.95 for the boxed set.

THE DECALOGUE

The Decalogue (from Facets Video)
Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski.
Written by Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz.
Music by Zbigniew Preisner.
Cinematography: Wieslaw Zdort, Edward Klosinski, Piotr Sobocinski, Krzysztof Pakulski, Slawomir Idziak, Witold Adamek, Dariusz Kuc, Andrzej Jarosiewicz, and Jacek Blawut. Editor: Ewa Smal.

This is exciting news at Hollywood Jesus! This is a powerful film series. I can not wait for it's release. -David Bruce FACETS ANNOUNCES THE VIDEO RELEASE OF THE CENTURY - KIESLOWSKI'S THE DECALOGUE The most sought-after film on video, Krzysztof Kieslowski's The Decalogue, a modern cinematic masterpiece, will make its home video debut March 28, 2000 exclusively from Facets Multimedia, 1517 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. The Decalogue will be available for a limited time only. Called "easily one of the century's greatest films," (Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune), the subject of the ten individual films which make up The Decalogue is nothing less than the Ten Commandments. Working completely against the trend of action-based or psychological filmmaking, Kieslowski uses modern contexts to examine the fundamental and timeless issues of human existence. Created for Polish Television in 1988-89, this extraordinary series of 10 films (each of which is one hour in length) became what the New York Times called "the most acclaimed cinematic event in Europe" and was "coveted by nearly every festival in sight" (Variety). The Decalogue also ran theatrically in selected U.S. cities to sell-out audiences and universal critical acclaim. Krzysztof Kieslowski, whose untimely death in 1996 brought to an end a remarkable international career, is best known for his feature films Double Life of Veronique and the trilogy Three Colors: Blue, White, Red. For The Decalogue, which he co-wrote with Krzysztof Piesiewicz, Kieslowski assembled a unique team of the best collaborators in contemporary cinema. Nine noted cinematographers shot the individual films; the brilliant contemporary composer Zbigniew Preisner wrote the haunting musical score. Each segment of the Decalogue takes place in the present, all are shot in the same high-rise apartment building in a middle-class section of Warsaw. Each of the stories is simply numbered, without a direct reference to the corresponding commandment which underlies the story. Kieslowski preferred to allow the viewer to come to his/her own moral and ethical conclusions based on the story. The magnitude, complexity, and universality of The Decalogue is nothing short of staggering. In one of the best-known episodes (Number V, based on "Thou shalt not kill"), an aimless, unemployed young man brutally robs and murders a taxi driver. He is caught, sentenced, and hanged by the State. In a searingly powerful stab at the root of death penalty issues, Kieslowski posits the opposites of individual and collectively sanctioned taking of a life. The episode is hauntingly shot in monochromatic yellows and grays by Slawomir Idziak. In Episode I ("Thou shalt have no other gods before me"), a caring father, played by the acclaimed theatre director Henryk Baranowski, places his faith in his computer to calculate the thickness of ice on a pond by his apartment building. It is only when his young, inquisitive son is missing while ice skating on the pond that the moral issue is called to question. In all of the episodes of The Decalogue, Kieslowski's approach, which has generated both critical and intense popular reaction, is distinguished by his successful weaving of the familiar, age-old "rules" into the fabric of everyday modern life. The Decalogue provides contemporary audiences with timeless ethical and moral guidelines for today. The Decalogue is a multiple award winner, including the FIPRESCI award at the Venice Film Festival, Best Foreign Language Film from the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Award at São Paulo International Film Festival. A Short Film About Killing, a longer version of Episode V, won the Jury Special Prize at the Cannes Film Festival as well as Best Film at the European Film Awards. A Short Film about Love won the Special Jury Prize at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, and the Audience Award at the São Paulo International Film Festival. Praised as "a stunning success," "a modern masterpiece," (Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune) The Decalogue is indeed "a rare film work mixing high ambition and almost faultless achievement." and "an extraordinary, memorable series." (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). The Decalogue is in the Polish language with English subtitles. Facets will release The Decalogue as a 5 volume, slipcase set, with two episodes per cassette. Retail price is $99.95 for the boxed set. THE DECALOGUE The Decalogue (from Facets Video) Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski. Written by Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz. Music by Zbigniew Preisner. Cinematography: Wieslaw Zdort, Edward Klosinski, Piotr Sobocinski, Krzysztof Pakulski, Slawomir Idziak, Witold Adamek, Dariusz Kuc, Andrzej Jarosiewicz, and Jacek Blawut. Editor: Ewa Smal.


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