OVERVIEW

The teaching is divided into two parts: 6 CFU: 36 h. frontal teaching - first semester; 9 CFU: 54 h. frontal teaching - second semester

The first part will focus on the cinematography of Andrzej Wajda. WAJDA (1926-2016, Oscar for Lifetime Achievement: 2000) devoted at least half of his 40 or so films to novels or short stories from Polish or Russian literature. His films are an effective fusion of history with romantic national and personal dramas, painting and images of Polish art. Wajda, as has been said, has perhaps embodied and interpreted the self-consciousness of his country like no other Polish intellectual. We will therefore study 20th century Polish history and culture through the commented viewing of some of his films, which will be accompanied by the reading of literary texts that inspired them.

The second part of the course  will consist of a general summary of the major literary currents and historical-political events, from Young Poland to the present day.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching aims to bring the student closer to the specific cultural heritage of Poland, its history and literature. A literature whose value in modern times can also be witnessed by the Nobel prizes awarded to it: Sienkiewicz (1905, the first Nobel to a Slavic writer), Reymont (1924), Miłosz (1980), Szymborska (1996), Tokarczuk (2018), to which one can also, in part, add the Nobel awarded to the Yiddish writer I.B Singer in 1978.The aim of this teaching is to make the student approach to the very rich and articulated literary heritage of Poland, from the XVIIII century until nowadays

At the end of the course, the student should be able to find an orientation in the geographical and cultural space of Poland and to individuate some of its more important peculiarities on a European contest

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, students must be able to orient themselves and understand Polish literature of the twentieth century, in particular as regards the general themes of teaching. They will have to know at least in broad terms the complex geo-political history of Poland of the last century. They will also have acquired a first knowledge of translation techniques from Polish into Italian and will be able, through group work and on-line support, to carry out simple translations from literary texts.

PREREQUISITES

The accomplishment of at least one year of Polish Literature

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal lessons

Viewing, explanation and commentary on the films and the texts inspired by them. At least once during the semester, students will be asked to prepare in small groups of two to three people a short commentary on one of the topics covered and to present it to the rest of the class. Before the final exam, students will prepare a written paper on a topic of their choice from those covered, rigorously applying the drafting rules provided

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The teaching is divided into two parts. The first (6 CFU, 36 h) will focus on the cinematography of Andrzej Wajda. WAJDA (1926-2016, Oscar for Lifetime Achievement: 2000) devoted at least half of his 40 or so films to novels or short stories from Polish or Russian literature. His films are an effective fusion of history with romantic national and personal dramas, painting and images of Polish art. Wajda, as has been said, has perhaps embodied and interpreted the self-consciousness of his country like no other Polish intellectual. We will therefore study 20th century Polish history and culture through the commented viewing of some of his films, which will be accompanied by the reading of literary texts that inspired them.

The second part of the course (a further 18 hours, totalling 54 h, 9 CFU) will consist of a general summary of the major literary currents and historical-political events, from Young Poland to the present day.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mandatory Readings:

HANDBOOK

Storia della Letteratura Polacca a cura di Luigi Marinelli, Einaudi 2004, from p. 324 until the end

***

Texts in AulaWeb by Paolo D’Agostino, Francesco Cataluccio, Laura Quercioli, Marina Fabbri.

two of the following volumes:

Stanislaw Wyspianski: Le nozze

Victor Zaslavskij: Pulizia di classe: il massacro di Katyn

Janusz Korczak: Diari

Tadeusz Borowski: Da noi ad Auschwitz

Jerzy Andrzejewski: Cenere e diamanti

Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz: Madre Giovanna degli Angeli e altri romanzi brevi

The following films by A. Wajda:

Wesele

Korczak

Katyn

Powidoki

Ashes and Diamonds

Marble Man

Walesa

Tatarak

 Two online and in-person meetings will also be part of the teaching:

Andrzej Wajda: Who was he? A meeting with Lorenzo Costantino, Head of the Film Department of the Polish Institute in Rome

Andrzej Wajda and Tadeusz Borowski. Meeting with Alberto Rizzerio, President of the Primo Levi Cultural Centre - Genoa.

Before accessing the exam, at least a week in advance, all students, whether attending or not, will have to prepare a short paper (one or two pages), on one of the subjects of the course, following the instructions in the file Norme per tesi e tesine available on the Teacher Page

Non-attending students will arrange with the lecturer to watch the films and read THREE of the volumes of their choice.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

October 11, 2023

Class schedule

POLISH LITERATURE AND CULTURE III

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The oral exam will allow to evaluate the student's ability to put in relation the various topics discussed during the course. During the exam, which includes open questions and feedbacks on the entire program covered, will be evaluated the quality of the presentation, the correct use of the vocabulary (in particular in relation to the literary movements and the currents of thought studied), the capacity of critical and temporal orientation. Attendance and active participation in the lessons and at the conferences, which are an integral part of the teaching, is also obviously evaluated.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The student will demonstrate to have assimilated the program, to have acquired the basic knowledge provided during the teaching, to be able to elaborate a short speech both on the subject at will and on those required and to comment on the texts studied during the course semester, placing them in the Polish and European historical and cultural context. Attendance and active participation in the lessons will not only facilitate the exam path but will also be evaluated in the final score.
The essay submitted before the exam will be discussed and evaluated

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Polish students may read the bibliograhy in the original language