Men of the Blue Cross (1955)
The final film produced by Warsaw’s Documentary Film Studio is an epic re-enactment of a treacherous mission by the Voluntary Tatra Mountain Rescue Service to aid colleagues stranded behind enemy lines at the close of World War II (several real participants feature in the film). Based on a short story about the rescue by Adam Liberak, Munk’s final “documentary” is also arguably his first major exercise in the craft of narrative filmmaking.
Released: Oct 12, 1955
Runtime: 55 minutes
Stars: Stanislaw Byrcyn-Gasienica, Stanisław Wawrytko, Stanisław Marusarz, Stanisław Gąsienica, Ludwik Ziemblic, Józef Krzeptowski
Crew: Andrzej Munk (Director), Janusz Sowiński (Assistant Camera), Jan Riesser (First Assistant Director), Stanisław Czerwiński (Lighting Technician), Kazimierz Kucharski (Sound Assistant), Zbigniew Kowalczyk (Sound Assistant)