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HEAR MY CRY

A Protest Unheard

In December 1968, during a state-sanctioned celebration at Warsaw’s Palace of Culture, Ryszard Siwiec set himself on fire in protest against the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. His act of defiance, witnessed by thousands, was immediately suppressed and erased from public memory by the communist authorities. Hear My Cry reconstructs this forgotten act of resistance through meticulous archival research. Using state newsreels, radio broadcasts, photographs, and censorship records, the film uncovers how an individual’s moral protest was deliberately silenced and how propaganda transformed a moment of truth into collective amnesia.

THE FILMMAKER

Renowned Polish filmmaker Maciej J. Drygas transforms archival images and voices into powerful cinematic storytelling. His films explore hidden chapters of twentieth-century history—stories of protest, censorship, propaganda, and displacement—revealing the lives behind historical events through rare archival footage and deeply moving personal narratives.

AWARDS

Felix for Best Documentary — European Film Academy
Silver Dragon — Krakow Festival of Documentaries and Short Films, Russia
The Best Documentary Film - Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia
Grand Prix — "Man under Threat" Media Festival, Poland
Andrzej Munk Award — Polish National Film School, Poland
Silver Sesterce — International Documentary Film Festival, Switzerland
Golden Gate Award — International Film Festival, US
Special Honor — Łagów, Poland
Wyspianski Award for Young Artists, Poland
Second Prize — Balticum '93, Denmark

HEAR MY CRY: A PROTEST UNHEARD

Catalog # EPF16128 ● ISBN: 978-1-963201-68-0 ● UPC: 6-82086-16128-0 ● NTSC

48 Minutes ● Copyright 1991 ● Polish, English Subtitles

For purchase orders, to book screenings and for other inquiries, please contact:
Larry Rattner - larry@epfmedia.com

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