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Operation Hyacinth (film)

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2021 film by Piotr Domalewski
Operation Hyacinth
PolishHiacynt
Directed byPiotr Domalewski
Written byMarcin Ciastoń
Starring
Production
company		ShipsBoy
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • 13 October 2021 (2021-10-13)
CountryPoland
LanguagePolish

Operation Hyacinth (Polish: Hiacynt) is a 2021 Polish film directed by Piotr Domalewski, written by Marcin Ciaston and starring Tomasz Ziętek, Hubert Miłkowski, and Marek Kalita. The drama is based on the Operation Hyacinth (Polish: Akcja "Hiacynt"), which was a secret mass operation of the Polish communist police, carried out in the years 1985–87. Its purpose was to create a national database of all Polish homosexuals and people who were in touch with them. The film was well received by critics.

Plot

Robert is in his mid-twenties and new to the Citizens' Militia (MO). His father Edward holds a senior position and is keen for his son to follow in his footsteps. Robert and his partner, Wojtek, investigate a case in which a serial murderer has been targeting gay men in Warsaw. Robert befrieds a German-language student Arek in order to infiltrate the local gay scene for the investigation. As he does so, he discovers a tangle of lies, blackmail, and cover-ups.

Production

Direction and screenplay

Director Piotr Domalewski was born in 1983 and grew up in Łomża. After completing his secondary education, he enrolled at the Aleksander-Zelwerowicz Academy for Drama in Białystok and began his study of puppet shows. After his exams, he continued his education until 2009 at the Faculty for Drama at the AST National Academy of Theatre Arts in Kraków. As an actor, he appeared in the Wybrzeże Theatre and worked with directors such as Anna Augustynowicz, Grzegorz Wiśniewski and Ewelina Marciniak. At this time he shot the short film Stranger, an adaptation of Robert Musil's The Man Without Qualities. His feature film debut Silent Night (Polish: Cicha noc) received multiple awards including best film at the Gdynia Film Festival. Domalewski's second feature film I Never Cry (original title: Polish: Jak najdalej stąd; translates to: As Far Away From Here as Possible) premiered in September 2020.

In 1980s Poland, hyacint was a derogatory term, similar to the English pansy, used to refer to homosexual men.

Marcin Ciastoń drew inspiration for the screenplay from Operation Hyacinth, an action undertaken by the Polish secret services in the 1980s. The operation targeted the country's gay community, and the material gathered was used to extort men and to enforce their cooperation. Launched under the pretext of tackling the AIDS epidemic and prostitution, Operation Hyacinth saw a significant number of homosexuals imprisoned, arrested, or otherwise persecuted.

Cast

Reception

Accolades

Year Award/Festival Recipient Recipients
2021 Gdynia Film Festival Screenplay Award Martin Caken
Characterization Award Daria Siejak
Golden Clapper (Radio Gdańsk award for the longest applauded film)
Zbigniew Cybulski Award Tomasz Ziętek (nominated)
Camerimage Golden Frog for the best Polish film Piotr Sobocinski Jr., Piotr Domalewski

See also

References

  1. "Operation Hyacinth – Netflix Review (4/5)". Heaven of Horror. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
  2. "Operation Hyacinth review – gritty with a smart script". Ready Steady Cut. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
  3. "Polish thriller Operation Hyacinth debuts on Netflix". 16 October 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  4. "Recenzja "Operacji Hiacynt": polski dramat o prześladowaniach LGBT sprawdza wszystkie właściwe pudełka" (in Polish). 13 October 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  5. "Operation Hyacinth (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  6. ""Hiacynt": w matni systemu [RECENZJA]" (in Polish). 16 October 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  7. Will Tizard, "Cinematographer Piotr Sobocinski Creates Trapped Characters in Murder Story ‘Hyacinth’. Variety, November 13, 2021.
  8. Piotr Domalewski. In: culture.pl. Retrieved 27 September 2021. (in Polish)
  9. "FilmPolski.pl". FilmPolski (in Polish). Retrieved 2023-04-25.

External links

Netflix films
Lists of films
Categories: