Galicyjskie kobiety w polskiej kulturze filmowej lat 20. i 30. XX wieku

Abstract

Women from Galicia and the Polish Film Culture of 1920s and 1930s The text examines forms of participation of women from Galicia (Krakow and Lwow) in Polish film culture that started to develop dynamically after 1918. There were several different occupations for women who tried to work for the film industry, including being actresses, owners or managers of cinemas but also film critics. Moreover, the early decades of 20th century was the time of emerging of women’s spectatorship, and film popular culture – commercialized and popularized by yellow press and film magazines. Closer examination of biographies of Zofia Batycka from Lwow and Maria Malicka from Krakow provides documents and visual materials, illustrating development of Polish star system and on the other hand of women’s professional experience. Other interesting sources of information about women and early cinema in Poland are film critics wrote by women who as Stefania Zahorska or Magdalena Samozwaniec were modern, independent women, educated and open-minded. Their memories and essays can be considered both as a documentation of film history but also of women’s history (and women’s spectatorship).