I feel privileged to be this year’s Honorary Chairman of the Osaka European Film Festival. I understand that this honor was bestowed on me as the representative of Polish cinema past and present.

I am very pleased with the fact that Polish cinema will be coming back to Japan during the program of European Film Festival. During difficult communist times, we desperately longed for the possibility to present our films outside Poland. Therefore, nowadays we consider our worldwide cinematographic presence a matter of great importance.

I am even happier that I have been asked to be the Honorary Chairman of this 14th OEFF, an event that actively promotes the ties between Japan and Europe, because over the last decade, I have personally been active in strengthening the understanding between my own country Poland and Japan. It is thanks to the Kyoto-Krakow Foundation that the Krakow Centre of Japanese Art "Manggha" was brought to life 12 years ago, and since then, Manggha has been constantly bringing our countries together.

But none of this would have been possible without "Solidarity" and Lech Walesa visits to Japan, which started our long-lasting friendship with the Japan Confederation of Railway Workersﾕ Unions (JRU). Thanks to JRUﾕs help and support, we were able to build the Japanese Art Center in Krakow, and a few years later a Japanese language school. My films and theatre storyboard works are only a small compensation for the truly generous JRU gift.

I am one of the oldest living film directors, my first film "Kanal" being made 50 years ago, and I am so proud that after half a century, it is still appreciated all over the world. At the beginning of my professional career I directed a film about the Warsaw uprising. Now, approaching the end of my journey, once again I have brought to life a war story from the years1939, 1943 and 1945, about the Katyn massacre, and without "Katyn", my filmography would have been incomplete. I do hope that it will find its proper place at your Festival in the future.

Once again, My Friends, my thoughts are with you. Thank you again for remembering "Kanal".