Maids of Wilko (Panny z Wilka) (1979): Polish Foreign Language Oscar Nominee from Wajda

Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda directed the psychological drama, Panny z Wilka, released in the U.S. as The Young Girls of Wilko and aks Maids of Wilko.

Set in the 1920s, based on the book by Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz, the film centers on WWI veteran Wiktor Ruben (Daniel Olbrychski), who returns to the town where he had spent his childhood summers before the war.

He stays with his aunt (Zofia Jaroszewska) and uncle (Tadeusz Bialoszczynski).

Wiktor is surrounded by women: Julcia (Anna Seniuk), Jola (Maja Komorowska), Zosia (Stanislawa Celinska), Kazia (Krystyna Zachwatowicz), and Tunia (Christine Pascal).

 

Oscar Nominations: 1

Panny Wilka was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in the 1979 Academy Awards.

The winner, however, was Schlondorff’s The Tin Drum from Germany.

Unrated, 1 hr. 58 min.

Directed By:  Andrzej Wajda.

DVD:  Aug 26, 2003

Artificial Eye