Remembering Andrzej Wajda – Walesa: Man of Hope

2026 marks the Year of Andrzej Wajda, one of the most influential figures in Polish cinema and a director whose work has had a lasting impact on Polish and European film. To commemorate his legacy, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Valletta is organising a screening of Walesa: Man of Hope (2013), directed by Andrzej Wajda.

Free admission; booking is required.

Walesa: Man of Hope tells the story of Lech Wałęsa, a charismatic leader of the Solidarity movement and one of the key figures in Poland’s democratic transformation.

The film begins with Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci visiting the Wałęsa family home in Gdańsk to interview the future Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Her provocative questions provide the framework for a story tracing Wałęsa’s journey from a shipyard worker and political dissident to the leader of Solidarity and an international symbol of the struggle for democracy.

The biographical story begins in 1970, following the violent suppression of workers’ protests. It follows Wałęsa’s political awakening, his growing role in the opposition, and his leadership during the historic strikes at the Gdańsk Shipyard in August 1980, which led to the emergence of the Solidarity movement.

Alongside the political events, the film portrays Wałęsa’s family life and his relationship with his wife, Danuta, highlighting the personal sacrifices made by the family during a period of profound political change. The story continues through the imposition of martial law, Wałęsa’s internment, his receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and the political breakthrough of 1989.

The film concludes with Wałęsa’s historic speech before the United States Congress, beginning with the words “We, the people…”.

Blending political history with an intimate portrait of family life, Walesa: Man of Hope explores the personal cost of political engagement, the meaning of leadership, and the choices made by individuals caught up in moments of historic change.