Kieślowski’s work continues to attract unwavering interest worldwide. Researchers and admirers of his films primarily focus on his feature films. Meanwhile, his remarkable contributions to Polish documentary cinema remain less known, if not undiscovered. Many of these films have been released on DVD and can be found online, yet their artistry and originality are being revealed only gradually. A testament to the extraordinary depth of meaning in Kieślowski’s short documentaries is last year’s issue (1/2015) of the prestigious journal Short Film Studies, dedicated to the art of short films. Its editor-in-chief, Professor Richard Raskin, a renowned American film scholar, published as many as 11 articles devoted to a single Kieślowski documentary—his shortest one (5 minutes and 31 seconds), Office (1966).
The archive of his work, currently being established in Sokołowsko, will undoubtedly aid in uncovering the meanings and formal qualities of Kieślowski’s other films, including the 23 documentaries he created. Beyond new interpretations and analyses, there are still unexplored aspects of the production circumstances of these films, as well as the history of his unrealized projects—and even the fates of the people captured on film years ago by the creator of Seven Women of Different Ages (1978).
The establishment of the archive provides a unique opportunity to research the entire legacy of the most internationally recognized Polish filmmaker. There is no doubt that delving into Kieślowski’s art will always require returning to the sources, understanding contexts, and exploring the circumstances of his work. The more we are fascinated by his achievements, drawn to them, and moved by their depth, the more we long to know about them.