Camouflage

Krzysztof Zanussi's 1977 Polish film takes place at a university linguistics summer camp and follows the argument between Jarosław, a young assistant, and Jakub, an experienced associate professor. Jarosław believes honesty is possible; Jakub explains the rule for surviving inside the institution, which is to adapt. The film is among the sharpest works of Poland's cinema of moral anxiety. Zanussi never speaks politics directly, but by building the academy as a miniature state he shows how a system of pressure shapes a person. Zbigniew Zapasiewicz's professor is a rare figure who joins cynicism to intelligence. The film was kept out of circulation in Poland for a period. Who it's for: viewers who like Eastern European cinema and films built on an argument of ideas. Who it's not for: anyone wanting plot, or who will find long dialogue scenes wearing.