Augustyniak Family Archive

collection Augustyniak Family Archive
authors Stanisław Augustyniak
length 31'34
country Peru; Germany
locations Callao, Peru  Hamburg, Germany 
format 8 mm
color black and white
signature PAFD 0051 005
description

The author of the film is Stanisław Augustyniak (born in 1920 in Warta, died in 1997 in Gdynia). He completed seven grades of primary school and mastered several trades – he was a shoemaker, tailor, furrier, plumber, carpenter, locksmith, and knew his way around electrical installations. In 1938, he went to Warsaw hoping to continue his education, but to no avail. Eventually, he enlisted in the navy in Gdynia and in 1939 ended up on ORP “Gryf”. He participated in the September Campaign as an artillery operator and member of the crew defending the peninsula. After the capitulation, he was taken into German captivity and imprisoned in the Woldenberg camp, and then assigned to work at Paul Schwartz’s inn in Wollin. There he met his future wife, Anna Witkowska, who worked at Lehmann’s, Schwartz’s neighbor. After returning to Poland, the couple had a modest wedding, and in 1946 their only son Bolesław was born. The family moved to Gdynia, where Stanisław began working as a sailor, sailing for the next 30 years in PLO under the Polish merchant flag. His amateur 8-millimeter films come from this period, which also feature his wife Anna, who accompanied him on several sailings. After finishing his work at sea, Stanisław focused on family life, dedicating much time to his cherished allotment garden in Gdynia.
Part 1
From the ship’s deck, the camera observes a lock on the Panama Canal and its surroundings. The vessel steadily moves while the cameraman records passing ships, a passing train, and the surrounding tropical country landscape.
Part 2
Various shots of the port in Callao, Peru. The camera observes the surroundings from above, likely from an observation point on the ship, and from the deck. It watches people working in the port and various vessels. Considerable attention is paid to a grand sailing ship.
Part 3
Recording of the streets of Callao. The camera observes the architecture and residents in their daily lives – at the marketplace, in a diner, in a square.
Part 4
A series of various shots: a military ship, a view of the city (probably Valparaiso in Chile) and a mountainous landscape from the ship’s deck, a cattle pen on the deck with men tending to them.
Part 5
Scenes of ship loading interspersed with shots of urban landscape seen from the deck. A group of men is sorting and carrying cow hides and other goods. The footage was probably shot in Argentina.
Part 6
Shots of industrialized waterfront and its surrounding landscape. The latitude where the cameraman was filming has clearly changed – leafless trees suggest that he has sailed from tropical regions to a place with a temperate climate. The footage was probably shot in West Germany, on the Kiel Canal.
Part 7
Various urban shots taken in Hamburg. The cameraman records streets, shops, and shop signs. He documents, among others, the facade of Moulin Rouge on Reeperbahn street.
Part 8
Shots of the sea taken from the ship’s deck. A lighthouse and other ships are visible in the frame.
Part 9
Test shots. A sequence of handwritten numbers, followed by a shot of urban landscape filmed from a balcony.

(WO)

keywords canal  lock  ship  sailing ship  city  marketplace  cow  lighthouse  sailor  train  sea  cruise  port 
source of funding Polish Film Institute