As we observe the 40th anniversary of the Polish uprising known as "solidarity," SOLIDARNOSC: HOW SOLIDARITY CHANCED EUROPE is a timely look at the events that began in 1980 and are considered to have contributed mightily to the fall of Communism. After WWII, the Polish People's Republic was initially a model pupil of the Soviet Union. With a growing shortage of food and other supplies, however, protests started. In the summer of 1980, emboldened by the visit of the first Polish Pope, John Paul II, the workers of the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk called a strike, founding the first independent trade union behind the Iron Curtain: Solidarnosc (Solidarity). The move made trade union leader Lech Walesa an international figure, and changed Poland and Europe forever. The documentary contains archival footage from Solidarnosc circles and the secret police, some of which has never before been shown. It sheds new light on how Poland was changed from the inside, impacting Europe altogether. Among the participants are cameramen and journalists, as well as members of various political movements.
