(Un)forgotten documentary filmmakers

What was life really like in communist Poland from a woman’s perspective? Rediscovered many years later, this Polish documentary filmmaker of georgian descent did not need to use the word ‘feminism’ to show — with a touch of irony — what life was like 60 years ago and what half of society, known as the ‘weaker sex’, dreamt of. Helena Amiradżibi took her camera into spheres rarely explored by filmmakers because they were considered ‘women’s territory’, such as the world of fashion. employing creative means of expression on occasion, she gave voice to Polish wives and mothers juggling multiple jobs or to young female workers condemned to loneliness. She also proved that a woman could make films about anything, even jet aircraft testing. Please enjoy this selection of unique short documentaries. The black-and-white frames, restored after many years, evoke the atmosphere in which our grandmothers and mothers lived in Poland under the communist rule.