Film Forum

Dyrygent
Poland, 1980
Directed by Andrzej Wajda
Starring John Gielgud, Krystyna Janda, Andrzej Seweryn
Approx. 106 mins.

John Gielgud is Jan Lasocki, a renowned emigré conductor who returns to his native Poland to conduct a local orchestra. Lasocki finds himself in an unusual love triangle, with Marta, a past love and her husband Adam, the orchestra’s regular conductor. “You’re jealous about Jan’s music,” Marta tells Adam. “Those who love music are free. Those who can’t love what they don’t do aren’t free.” The film explores the tension between patriotism and art in this allegorical film about freedom, exile, and national identity.

Presented with support from The Ashes and Diamonds Fund for Eastern European Film

Reviews

“One of Wajda’s most personal statements on the artist’s commitment to his art and the individual person’s need for integrity, even when faced with the reality of exile.”
– New Yorker Films