A documentary directed by Aneta Kopacz, with music by Leszek Możdżer, is a journey through time, a metaphor for the human condition, and a reminder that memory is something we can offer others.
This lyrical film speaks to viewers on many levels: it takes them on a walk through Old Powązki Cemetery, accompanied by evocative music and excerpts from archival recordings of its subjects. Together, these elements create an extraordinary composition that moves viewers and invites them to reflect on the passage of time.
"I shall not wholly die..." Horace said, acknowledging the power of literature. From the screen, Kalina Jędrusik, Gustaw Holoubek, Mieczysława Ćwiklińska, Zdzisław Maklakiewicz, Andrzej Łapicki and Irena Kwiatkowska speak to the viewer. They are artists of a generation that has passed away, but their film roles, songs, voices preserved on tape and photographs remain.
The documentary's title comes from Kalina Jędrusik's words to Gustaw Holoubek: "We've been here before, Guciu..." The passage of time is the film's central theme, as viewers realize that every person portrayed in it has died. Death puts everything into perspective, but in today's world—where we are constantly short of time—are we truly aware of this?
Memento mori, one might say: let us remember that one day we will all die.
Produced by the Stare Powązki Foundation, the film offers only a glimpse into the history of the cemetery. Founded by King Stanisław August Poniatowski, it is a kind of pantheon for Warsaw and the burial place of around a million people. It documents more than 200 years of city life. Soldiers, politicians, artisans, actors, musicians, architects, sculptors, painters, clergy, entrepreneurs, factory owners, officials, marshals, ministers, railway workers, athletes, those who caroused, haggled, worked hard, were poor or rich, spies, swindlers and sinners have all found their final resting place here. Such was Warsaw
and such is the old cemetery at Powązki.
Listed in the register of historic monuments, Old Powązki is a gallery of sculpture and small-scale architecture, and an extraordinary record of its times.
The mission of the Stare Powązki Foundation is to preserve the heritage and cultural character of this cemetery, the burial place of many generations of Poles.