The Cruise

The Cruise (original title Rejs), directed by Marek Piwowski, is a quasi-documentary Polish comedy, shot largely with real people improvising, about a man who sneaks onto a weekend river cruise on the Vistula and is mistaken by the captain for the Communist Party's cultural coordinator. The film reached cinemas in October 1970 but was distributed in only two prints, a limited release. Its closeness to the March 1968 student protests is so pronounced that it's referred to as the first post-March film. Voted the most beloved Polish film in a reader poll by Poland's best selling weekly magazine Polityka, it's considered the oldest cult film in Polish cinema today. Who it's for: anyone curious about a mockumentary shot with real people improvising, distributed in only two prints under communist Poland yet later voted the country's most beloved film. Who it's not for: viewers wanting professional acting and a tight script, since the film is built on improvisation with non-actors.