Andrzej Bart
- Poland
- Zu Gast beim ilb: 2011
Andrzej Bart (b. 1951), writer and film director, is called the Polish Thomas Pynchon because he likes people to talk about his books and films but would prefer if they left him alone. He devoted his young years to writing a novel »Rien ne va plus«. This epic story of Poland and Poles, seen through a foreigner’s eyes, couldn’t be published for a long time for political reasons. Published in 1991, it was immediately awarded the Koscielski Prize. Subsequently, three editions of the book were published in Poland.
In »Pociąg do podróży« (2003; »The Travel Bug«), the writer follows two underdogs, a Jew and a German, who are sent back in time to the year 1900 to kill the young Adolf Hitler. Their eccentric trip serves as a pretext to examine the innocence of Europe before it experienced two world wars. Under the pseudonym Paul Scarron Jr., he published the metaphysical mystery novel »The Fifth Rider of Apocalypse« (1999). In the novel »Don Juan raz jeszcze« (2006; »Don Juan Revisited«) the old Don Juan atones in a monastery for the sins of his youth. He sets off for his last adventure under coercion. He is to seduce Queen of Castile, Juana, who is traversing Spain with the corpse of her husband. Bart’s most translated book is »Fabryka Muchołapek« (2008; »The Flytrap Factory«), short listed for the Nike Literary Award. It is a novel about the most controversial figure in modern history, Chaim Rumkowski, the leader of the Lodz Ghetto. In »Rewers« (2009, »The Reverse«) Bart brings back to life one of his characters who in »Rien ne va plus« committed suicide. A young girl, who fou d herself in Stalinist Poland in a no-choice situation, is this time able to confront evil and win.
In 2009, »The Reverse« was awarded the main prize – the Golden Lions Award – at the most prestigious Polish film festival in Gdynia and was submitted to the Academy Awards. Since then »The Reverse« has been receiving numerous awards at many international film festivals including Best New Director at the 36th Seattle International Film Festival and the Best Debut Feature at the 32nd International Film Festival in Moscow.
Bart has made several documentaries as well as a TV movie, »Boulevard Voltaire«, awarded at the 2011 Sopot Festival for Best Director and Best Script. He is currently working on pre-production of the movie »The Flytrap Factory«.
© internationales literaturfestival berlin
Rien ne va plus
Poprzeczna Oficyna
Łódź, 1991
Pociąg do podróży
Noir sur Blanc
Warschau, 1999
Don Juan raz jeszcze
Wydawnictwo Literackie
Krakau, 2006
Rewers
W.A.B.
Warschau, 2008
Die Fliegenfängerfabrik
Schöffling
Frankfurt a. M., 2011
[Ü: Albrecht Lempp]