The designation, awarded by the European Film Academy, recognizes sites of symbolic and historical value to European cinema that should be preserved for future generations.
The Kieślowski Archive is managed by the In Situ Foundation of Contemporary Art, which aims to acquire, digitize, protect and promote materials related to the director’s legacy.
The archive is located in Sokołowsko, near the southwestern Polish city of Wałbrzych. Kieślowski lived there from 1951 to 1957 while his father was being treated for tuberculosis at a local sanatorium.
In his autobiography, Kieślowski recalled his early encounters with cinema in Sokołowsko, where he and his friends would watch films through a roof vent of a nearby movie theatre because they could not afford tickets.
The archive was established with the support of Kieślowski’s widow, Maria Kieślowska, who provided the foundation with part of the family’s collection.
Some of these materials have already been made available online at kieslowski.com.pl.
The project aims to include film scripts, posters, correspondence, memorabilia and reviews documenting Kieślowski’s life and work, as well as to host workshops, residencies and conferences.
For the past 14 years, Sokołowsko has hosted the annual Hommage à Kieślowski festival focusing on his work.
Kieślowski died in 1996 at the age of 54. He gained international acclaim for works including The Decalogue series, The Double Life of Veronique and The Three Colours trilogy.
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