BAREJA, STANISŁAW

(1929-1987)

Director-scriptwriter, known principally for his popular cultcomedies. He began his career in the mid-1950s, working as assistant and second director. In 1961 he made his first film, the comedyThe Husband(Mąz swojej zony), followed by his only venture into another genre, the well-received crime filmTouch of the Night(Dotknięcie nocy, 1961), the first Polish postwar crime film. In the 1960s, Bareja produced several unpretentious comedies such asThe Wife for an Australian(Żona dla Australijczyka, 1964),Marriage of Convenience(Małzeństwo z rozsądku, 1966), andAn Adventure with a Song(Przygoda z piosenką, 1968).Beginning withWanted(Poszukiwany, poszukiwana, 1972), he started to infuse his films with bitter observations of everyday political reality. His best films, political satires such asWhat Will You Do with Me when You Catch Me(Co mi zrobisz jak mnie złapiesz, 1978) andTeddy Bear(Miś, 1981), reveal more about that period than the whole roster of politically oriented Polish cinema. Both films portrayed situations that were surrealist in spirit, people whose stupidity was of epic proportions, and an everyday existence that was kitschy, ridiculous, and painful. The same portrayal can be found in Bareja's television series from the 1980s—Alternative Street, No. 4(Alternatywy 4, 1983, premiere in 1986/1987) andReplacements(Zmiennicy, 1986). His earlier television film,The Extraordinarily Quiet Man(Niespotykanie spokojny człowiek, 1975), has been voted the best television film in a plebiscite organized by weeklyPolityka. Adocumentary filmby Agnieszka Arnold,Bare-ism(Bareizm, 1997), deals with the Bareja's career and his exceptional popularity among young viewers in particular.

Other films:Captain Sowa Investigates(Kapitan Sowa na tropie, TV series, 1965),There Is No Rose without Fire(Nie ma rózy bez ognia, 1974),The Dark-Haired Man during the Evening(Brunet wieczorową porą, 1976).