List of Polish Film Heritage (LPDF)developed by National Film Archive-Audiovisual Institute is a unique initiative, the first in Poland and one of the few in the world, such as the American National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, which is its reference point.
The idea behind the list, created on the 70th anniversary of FINA, is to highlight films that contributed in a special way to Polish culture, imagination and memory. It contains pioneering and technologically unique films, experiments, and images documenting the evolution of the filmmaking industry. The selection of titles includes both canonical and lesser-known films, classic fiction, documentaries, animations, experimental, student, amateur and propaganda works.
“We decided that during the anniversary year, FINA employees would take part in creating this list. We wanted it to include productions from all decades, starting with the first film from 1908. There are feature films, documentaries, animations, amateur films, and audio art. But for it all to fit in, something had to be missing. Controversy is expected,” said Tomasz Kolankiewicz, director of FINA, at a press conference.
“This canon is something fluid, it will change. These are the things we want to pay attention to. (…) Next year, experts, academics, representatives of institutions and the audience will also be able to submit their proposals to the list. (…) We also strive to ensure that these films can be watched on film,” he added.
“The list creates our memory and imagination. It is intended to show the role and importance of the National Film Archive, to disseminate, preserve and popularize it. It also includes films that may not be widely known, but are important. We want to show the history of cinema and cultural memory, and how they can resonate with each other,” said Agnieszka Wolak, deputy director of the National Film Archive.
“We cannot keep our heritage only in archives. Hence the idea for this list. There will also be film screenings. Each screening, and there will be seven of them, will be accompanied by discussions and meetings. On the one hand, we will present our perspective, and on the other, we will listen to the voices of experts, external guests, academics, people from the film industry and, of course, the audience,” said Miłosz Stelmach, Head of the Department of Collection Development and Curatorial and Scientific Strategy.
“We know that this list will be discussed and we want it to be so. We didn’t want it to include only well-known films, but also important and innovative ones for various reasons,” he added.
The list was announced on October 27, on World Audiovisual Heritage Day.
In 2025, the anniversary year of the Filmoteka celebrating its 70th anniversary, 70 films from the years 1908-2005 were included in the list, starting with the opening one, by an unknown author. “Prussian culture” (1908), based on real events the oldest preserved film produced in Poland – to Wojciech Smarzowski’s initiating original cinema “Wedding reception” (2004). Among them there were other treasures of old cinema, such as: “Beast” (1917) by Aleksander Hertz, the only surviving film from the Polish period of Pola Negri’s career “Janko the musician” (1930) by Ryszard Ordyński, a work of sound breakthrough, the digital reconstruction of which was one of the most difficult and at the same time most interesting FINA digitization projects.
The list also includes films such as “One Floor Up” (1937) Leon Trystan, “Girls from Nowolipki” (1937) Józef Lejtes, “The Adventure of an Honest Man” (1937) Stefan and Franciszka Themerson, pre-war animation ““Master Chochelek in trouble” Jan Jarosz (1935), “Ashes and Diamonds” (1958) by Andrzej Wajda, “The Last Day of Summer” (1958) Tadeusz Konwicki, “Eroica” (1958) Andrzej Munk, “Mother Joan of Angels” (1960) Jerzy Kawalerowicz, “Protective colors” (1976) Krzysztof Zanussi, “Amateur” (1979) Krzysztof Kieślowski, “Cruise” (1970) Marek Piwowski, “Bear” (1981) Stanisław Bareja, “Vabank” (1981) Juliusz Machulski, “Dogs” (1992) Władysław Pasikowski, “Manuscript found in Zaragoza” (1964) Wojciech Jerzy Has, “Flood” (1974) Jerzy Hoffman, “Cathedral” (2002) by Tomasz Bagiński, audiovisual works such as “Consumer Art” (1975) Natalia LL, “From My Window” (1978-1999) Józef Robakowski, “That life has meaning” (2000) by Grzegorz Lipiec or “Concorde” (2003) Wilhelm Sasnal.
The full List of Polish Film Heritage, which includes 70 titles, can be found on the official FINA website.
From 2026, the selection process will become cyclical: ten new titles will be added each year, and some selections will be made through a plebiscite, which will give the project a social dimension and allow the audience to co-create the List.