I watched "March '68" primarily because I was keen to learn more about the student protests and the expulsion of many Jewish citizens from Poland in 1968. I really liked the film, and I think it is also important in the Polish context because the events of 1968 are not well enough known, and this movie is a long-due and worthy tribute to the heroes of those days. I myself come from the generation of the "Solidarity" period, whose dream was that Poland would join the family of democratic countries, which was achieved. The events of 1968 are important because they also touch upon the wrongs inflicted on Poles of Jewish origin and Polish anti-Semitism in general. We must, of course, focus on the present, but we must also tell the truth about what happened in the past and try to analyze it impartially. In general, in most European countries, Jews settled already in the Middle Ages, from the very beginning being attacked by the malicious propaganda of the Catholic Church (e.g., The Prioress's Tale from Geoffrey Chaucer's famous Canterbury Tales, in which the nasty Jews kill Christian children for a ritual sacrifice). Not having the right to own land or hold public offices, Jews focused on the areas that were available to them, i.e., trade, science, and arts. They achieved outstanding results in this and became an integral part of the elites of all European countries and non-European countries such as the United States. The same was, of course, true in Poland, where many scientists, engineers, doctors, writers, and artists had Jewish roots. In "March '68" I was personally moved by the story of Hania (Vanessa Aleksander) and Janek (Ignacy Liss) and Hania's family. Moreover, all the characters were outlined brilliantly and clearly, and the young people were surprisingly mature. For me, this story seemed to be true or to reflect the events of 1968, especially that it was the generation of director Krzysztof Lang. I liked the script, the recreation of the realities of that era, and the acting. For me, the modern Polish intelligentsia was developed in the era of the Polish People's Republic, and it is an irreparable loss that an important part of this elite was forced to leave Poland in 1968. But knowing the future, I also saw the note of optimism. Even if some people were kicked out of Poland, their positive energy was left behind, and their work was continued by the next generation. So today we are all part of a world in which belief in common values such as democracy and free market economy are stronger bonds for us than individual countries, ethnic origins, or religions.
