Originally made for Polish television, Dekalog focuses on the residents of a housing complex in late-Communist Poland, whose lives become subtly intertwined as they face emotional dilemmas that are at once deeply personal and universally human.The series’ ten hour-long films draw from the Ten Commandments for thematic inspiration and an overarching structure, and grapple deftly with complex moral and existential questions concerning life, death, love, hate, truth, and the passage of time. Shot by nine different cinematographers, written alongside longtime collaborator Krzysztof Piesiewicz, with stirring music by Zbigniew Preisner and compelling performances from established and unknown actors alike, Dekalog arrestingly explores the unknowable forces that shape our lives.
Stanley Kubrick was a huge fan of the film, saying that “these films dramatize their ideas with such dazzling skill that you never see the ideas coming, and don’t realize until much later how profoundly they have reached your heart.”
This new digital transfer of Dekalog was sourced from the 35mm original camera negatives provided by Telewizja Polska and stored at Filmoteka Narodow. When possible, the restoration of each episode was supervised and approved by its respective cinematographer.
9/1/2016 Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Cinematheque