Event

Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski. The Statesman + Lukasiewicz a Romantic Oilman

2018, 50 min, Poland, Belarus
Polish with English subtitles
dir. MIROSLAW BORK

In Polish history nobody deserves more recognition for contributions to the economic development of the country than Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski. Although many Poles would recognize his name, few know about the scope of his service. Born in Krakow, he spent his childhood in Eastern Poland. He served in Pisudskis Legions during and after the First World War. In the new established Second Republic, he worked to develop the economy and stabilize the Polish currency. During the Second World War, he survived the drama of prison in Romania and the death of his son in the September campaign. After the war, he survived the fiasco of social realism in its Stalinist version. After many years of as a non-person, the 1970s communist leadership under Edward Gierek tried to make him their patron. The creators of this film focus particularly on the years when he worked for his country between 1945 and 1948 and was then removed from public life by the Stalinist government.

2019, 59 min, Poland
Polish with English subtitles
dir. MACIEJ WOJCIK

This film tells the story of Ignacy Lukasiewiczs work as an inventor, industrialist, and social activist in the years 1848-1870. Starting as a pharmacist in Lvov, he went on to launch the oil refinery in Chorkowka. The most important world industry would not exist today if not for the inventions in refining technology created by this genius and by his foundation of the world oil industry is Bobrka in Poland!