Movie being made about football legend Jan Banas

Mateusz Kosciukiewicz (L) and Pawel Delag (R) during filming in Zabrze. Photo: PAP/Andrzej Grygiel

Banas was among a group of Polish footballers who defected to the West in 1966, although he was later pardoned and he returned to Poland, scoring seven goals for his country.

Born Heinz-Dieter Banas in Berlin in 1943, he dreamed of becoming a footballer since childhood.

Kidawa-Blonski has said that Banas's life story “provides fantastic material for a film.”

The director wrote the script for the movie himself, together with Jacek Kondracki, and the film has the working title of Stars.

Acclaimed young actor Mateusz Kosciukiewicz (In the Name of, All that I Love) has been cast as the footballer, and his mother will be played by Magdalena Cielecka (Katyn, Venice).

Kidawa-Blonski is best known for his award-winning 2010 movie Little Rose, a Cold War thriller loosely based on the life of historian Pawel Jasienica, who was spied on by his own wife.

The director is also due to film the mysterious story of the Polish WWII submarine 'Orzel' (Eagle). (nh)

Source: PAP