Bełżeccy Family Archive

collection Bełżeccy Family Archive
authors Zbigniew Bełżecki
starring Marzena Kawalerowicz; Jadwiga Bełżecka; Sylwia Kawalerowicz
length 00:13:05
country Poland
locations Cracow, Poland 
year 1979; 1983
format 8 mm
color black and white; color
signature PAFD 0006 004
description

Zbigniew Bełżecki (1914–2009) worked by day as a chemist in the research department of the Cracow Pharmaceutical Plant “Polfa”. His film archive consists of records of trips with his wife Jadwiga and daughter Marzena, as well as motorcycle trips around Europe. 

The trips were always preceded by long preparations, and after their completion Zbigniew wrote down the recorded audio diaries and created books from them on his own. He was also passionate about nature and photography. 

Part 1

Genre scenes from the family life, 1979, Christmas and the first birthday of Marzena’s daughter – Sylwia. A Christmas tree, and next to it, there is a little girl playing. She walks a little clumsily around the room, dressed in warm dungarees. The grandmother also plays with the girl. Jadwiga Bełżecka helped a lot in taking care of her granddaughter, thanks to which Marzena could devote more time to painting. In the film, Sylwia with her grandmother makes snowballs in the sandbox.

Part 2

A board: “KRAKÓW SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1979”. Scenes from the family life recorded in Cracow at the cusp of September and October 1979. Sylwia plays in the yard, looked over by her grandmother (and her grandfather, who films everything). A shared walk, meals, bath.

Part 3

Scenes from the family life recorded in 1983. Sylwia is already five years old and performs a long and complicated dance routine in front of the camera to the song Rasputin from the repertoire of Boney M. Marzena works on a painting. Sylwia is taken care of by her grandmother – the girl plays with dolls and a small toy piano.

(MB)

 

keywords Poland  Cracow  Christmas  birthday  family  grandparents  fun  childcare  Boney M  “Rasputin”  painting  toys 
source of funding Ministry of Culture and National Heritage