Movie tips: “The Pianist”

The Łódź Post suggests it’s readers movies either from Poland or movies which are set in Poland. In this week’s edition, we look at “The Pianist” , a memoir of the Polish composer of Jewish origin Władysław Szpilman who survived the Nazi occupation of Poland. In 2002, Polish film director Roman Polanski directed a screen version of the original memoirs, however Szpilman passed away before the movie could be completed.

An adaptation based on the autobiography of the acclaimed Polish composer, Wladyslaw Szpilman, who detailed his survival during World War II, and narrowly escaped a roundup that sent his family to a death camp. A composer and pianist, Szpilman played the last live music heard over Polish radio airwaves before Nazi artillery hit. There, in Poland, Szpilman struggled to stay alive–even when cast away from those he loved. He spent the duration of the war hiding in the ruins of Warsaw and scavenging for food and shelter. Szpilman eventually reclaimed his artistic gifts, and confronted his fears–with aid from the unlikeliest of sources.