Wajda returns to Venice Film Festival with Walesa biopic

US actress Sandra Bullock arrives for the premiere of 'Gravity' at the 70th annual Venice International Film Festival, in Venice, Italy, 28 August 2013. Photo: EPA/Ettore Ferrari

In an exclusive interview given with Polish Radio prior to the festival's opening on Thursday night, the 87-year-old director said that Walesa was a unique phenomenon.

“We have had heroes in our 1000-year history, but none like Walesa,” he said of the unemployed electrician who went on to lead Poland's anti-communist revolution.

“How did this happen that suddenly, such a worker could come on the scene?” he reflected.

Walesa: Man of Hope climaxes with Solidarity's victory in the general elections of June 1989.

“We wanted to show that Poles are capable of astonishing achievements, namely victory without spilling blood,” he said.

Wajda's film, which will be premiered on 5 September, is being screened out of competition. The director, who has already received a lifetime achievement award at the festival, will be presented with the Persol Prize by the Italian company of the same name, a key sponsor of the festival over the last decade.

Meanwhile, 20 films are in the running for the Golden Lion, the top prize of the main competition.

Competing films include Terry Gilliam's sci-fi take The Zero Theorem, Stephen Frears' Philomena and Merzak Allouache's The Rooftop.

The jury is being chaired this year by Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci.

The 70th Venice Film Festival closes on 7 September. (nh)