Previously Unseen WWII Footage of 1939 Nazi Germany's Siege of Warsaw Featured in New Documentary on Life of Renown American Photojournalist Julien Bryan
"Correspondent Bryan" chronicles the story of American photojournalist Julien Bryan, the last neutral reporter in Warsaw during the attack on Poland's capital by the Nazis. This week's Warsaw premiere marks the 71st anniversary of the start of WWII.
WARSAW, September 03, 2010
"Correspondent Bryan," a new documentary featuring the groundbreaking work of American photojournalist Julien Bryan, premiered here this week at the National Opera. The screening coincides with the 71st anniversary of the Nazi German invasion of Poland.Bryan was the last neutral reporter remaining in Warsaw when the Nazis invaded Poland in September 1939. Time and again he risked his life to record the massive destruction of Warsaw and its people during two weeks of Hitler's merciless attacks. Bryan had to smuggle his film out of Europe in the chemical container of a gas mask.
The result was the 1940 Academy Award-nominated short "Siege," which gave Americans a preview of what was to come in Europe during WWII at the hands of the Nazis.
Now, more than 70 years after "Siege" was shot, Poles can finally see much of Bryan's footage assembled into a single film, narrated in Polish with English subtitles.
Sam Bryan, the son of Julian Bryan, came from New York to appear at the Warsaw screening of "Correspondent Bryan." Bryan, a historian and documentary filmmaker, served as a consultant on the film. He recalled his father telling him about entering Poland during those dangerous days. "He went into Poland not knowing whether he might be arrested as he was stopped at the border," Sam Bryan told an interviewer. "His best foreign language was German. That was not the best language to have at that time!"
Production of "Correspondent Bryan" was supported by a foundation set up by Steven Spielberg, the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York and Sam Bryan. Eugeniusz Starky directed the documentary.
"Siege" is also now available for the first time ever on DVD, produced by Aquila Polonica Publishing in cooperation with the International Film Foundation. For more information go to http://www.polandww2.com.
Aquila Polonica Publishing specializes in publishing, in English, the Polish World War II experience. For further information, please contact us at (310) 710-1903.