Pojedynek - The duel (2002)
last update 20151115
The quest for the identity of fencing
A la recherche de l'identité de l'arme blanche
W poszukiwaniu tożsamości broni białej
You may find historical reconstructions of fencing duels
in the trailer of the documentary
trailer of the documentary
(DVD sleeve)
Project description
The following project resulted in a 52min long documentary film shot in Poland in 2002.
While interviews were obviously held in Polish both English and French subtitles are available on the DVD release, which is ready for distribution by keen production houses (authors' rights to be covered).
Another project (in French) never reached production although the script provided for 3 x 26min series and addressed a more French-oriented audience...
While interviews were obviously held in Polish both English and French subtitles are available on the DVD release, which is ready for distribution by keen production houses (authors' rights to be covered).
Another project (in French) never reached production although the script provided for 3 x 26min series and addressed a more French-oriented audience...
Abstract
Janusz Sieniawski and Tomasz Abramski, today's leading professional sword masters in Poland, strive to arrange duels echoing historical truth. In spite of their boundless, long-lasting partnership their rehearsals can be quite dangerous. They swing genuine weapons at each other's throats without any means of protection.
Marek Poznański, coach of gold metal fencers, casts a doubt on the values of fencing depicted in the film industry. Piotr Czeczotka proves by examining and renovating blades that duels were perhaps less blood spattered than one might think. His tiny workshop is crowded with blades already glittering or awaiting a second youth.
The popularity of Asian martial arts has pushed aside the bequest of Roman and Byzantine empires at the detriment of European fencing. This film is boring because nobody gets killed and fights seem to last for ever. But that's the way we think it was...
DVD contents
Chapter 1 - Two-hand swords
1 Introduction - Medieval swords
2 Two-hand sword - Rehearsal
3 Fencing heritage of Roman and Byzantine empires
4 Two-hand swords - Duel
Chapter 2 - Sword masters
5 Piotr Czeczotka - How armourers made swords
6 Janusz Sieniawski & Tomasz Abramski - Background
Chapter 3 - Rapier & dagger
7 Rapier & dagger - Rehearsal
8 Marek Poznanski - Spearing & cutting weapons
9 Piotr Czeczotka - Making of daggers & rapiers
10 Rapier & dagger - Reconstruction & work in tandem
Chapter 4 - Training with sticks
11 Fencing as a form of education
12 Sticks - Training
13 The Polish school of fencing
14 Piotr Czeczotka - How specs of past blades (mostly sabres) limited fencing techniques
Chapter 5 - Sabres
15 Sabres - Training & lethal advantages
16 Piotr Czeczotka - How people fought with sabres
17 Sabres - Rehearsal
18 Sabres - Historical reconstruction
Chapter 6 - Making, ringing & balancing of blades
19 Piotr Czeczotka - Why and how blades sound
20 Piotr Czeczotka - Balancing of sabres, Turkish scabbards with a slit...
Chapter 7 - Foils
21 Marek Poznański - Contemporary foil fencing
22 Foil - Training
Chapter 8 - Fencing in films vs. historical reconstructions
23 Tomek Abramski - Criticism of duel arrangements
24 Marek Poznański - Criticism of duels in films
Chapter 9 - Preserving the image of fencing
25 Contemporary fencing (sport discipline) - Training
(feat. Grzegorz Poznański - Tactics & spirit of fencing)
26 Janusz Sieniawski - The need to preserve a genuine image of European fencing
27 Foil duel - Night reconstruction
Bonus
Sword masters show-reel (8 x 30')
Fencing trailer (7min - English subtitles only)
You may find historical reconstructions of fencing duels in the trailer of the documentary