Movies On TV For Polish Americans

I found some movies playing on TV right now that some of you might be interested in.

Sophie's Choice

On Showtime, Meryl Streep stars in "Sophie's Choice", one of the most heart wrenching books I've ever read which was turned into film. 

Meryl Streep does an amazing job in this film.  I didn't recognize her for half of the movie, her accent is so flawless.  She sounded exactly like my mother and all the other Polish women I've ever known.  When I realized it was her, I was so shocked, I thought "No, she must have Polish blood!  Look at those cheekbones and her eyes."

"Sophie's Choice" is one of those movies that captures something that is rarely spoken about, something subtle.  Something that makes no sense to onlookers many times.  Something that explains many nuances of Poles today, something dark.  The atrocities of WWII and Nazi hatred toward Poles, and then the trials of the survivors and immigrants.

It's subtle, delicate, underlying.  And then, it comes out, bold and clarifying, in front of you until you weep for Sophie so deeply, and for all the other mothers out there in our world who ever had to carry such a burden like what she carries.

I highly recommend the film.

Chopin Films

On Ovation channel, "The Art of Chopin" played a few days ago and I believe it will be airing again soon.  Chopin is Poland's beloved composer.

On Netflix, you will also find a few films if you search "Chopin", including "Chopin: Desire For Love", which stars Poland's own handsome star, Piotr Adamczyk, who also stared in "Karol: A Man Who Became Pope" and "Karol: The Pope, The Man".


You can check out information about "Chopin: Desire For Love" on the film's site, and check out photos of Adamczyk in costume which show how well he fit the handsome Chopin's character, who was a bit of a ladies man.  Considering the very Polish custom of kissing ladies hands when they meet or see a woman, I'm sure this played a part in his earning the title of a "ladies man".

More Films on Netflix

I found other films as well on Netflix while searching the word "Poland", including a horror film (I can't handle horror films) and "Far From Poland".


I plan on watching a film today while the children are napping, since my older daughter is home sick with possibly Fifth Disease.

Na razie...

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Polish Film:  The Mill and the Cross

Polack, The Film:  Review & Interview

The Golden Duck of Warsaw and Brewster's Millions

Wordless Wednesday: Wierzba

Taken with my phone yesterday on a stroll with my children around a lake surrounded with very old willow trees...

On the way there and back home, we listened to some Chopin, because I thought ahead.  And we talked about a krasnoludek hole we saw, some of the places in Poland where we had seen Wierzbi, how the walk around the lake reminded us of Wroclaw in some places, that the bark could be used for fevers, about Rusalki, and going to the Chicago Botanical Garden...

Wierzba is pronounced with the "rz" sound as a "z" pronounced with tongue in same position as if you were rolling your "r".

Ways to Use A La Polonaise - In the Polish Style

Vegetables and other dishes can be delicious plain and simple but sometimes need an easy, quick, and healthy way to dress them up.  A la polonaise is a great way to do that.

Let's take Cauliflower as an example.  Simply steam it.  While that is cooking, in a seperate dry pan, lightly toast bread crumbs.  Melt butter into it until it is well mixed but not soaked.  If you like, add a squeeze of lemon.  Top your cauliflower with this topping.  And you are done.

You can add chopped parsley and chopped boiled egg, if you like, as well, which is still in keeping with the a la polonaise style.

You can do this with asparagus, which I would recommend the lemon squeeze for this.  Also, green beans, sugar snap peas, steamed carrots, and other vegetables are lovely with the a la polonaise garnishing.

The term "a la polonaise" is french but means "In the Polish style".  This is a term from when many Poles were living in France and the fashion was influenced by this, with this garnish and with the clothing style also known as "a la polonaise".  It also became fashionable due to Frederic Chopin's ( in Polish, Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin) Mazurka's swept through Paris and the rest of the world with their lively tempos and an exotic beat which has always been in the hearts of Poles.  Now, that short history lesson over, Smacznego!