This film is part of Free

Title of error

See Help

Scottish Mazurka

Discover what set the Poles apart in WWII through this colourful medley of manoeuvres, dance and song set in the Highlands.

War 1943 19 mins

Overview

Few WWII films are as filled with action, colour, dance and song as this delightful portrait of Polish soldiers in the Highlands of Scotland. As tanks and grenades tear up the countryside code in the first part of the film it’s clear that this is no scenic holiday. Legendary cinematographers Jack Cardiff and Geoffrey Unsworth use Technicolor to capture dramatic action, landscapes and close-up faces full of character.

Then after the theatre of war, and dramatic studies of soldiers posed on rocks beneath the brooding skies, comes dance theatre with the Anglo-Polish ballet bringing the mazurka to life. Through it all the film eschews a narrative voiceover in favour of snippets of dialogue and patriotic song. All in all it’s a heady and generous mix of pleasures ably brought to the screen by Hans Nieter O’Leary – an American-born director of German-Irish heritage – and Polish producer and director Eugene Cekalski.

Director

Hans M. Nieter

Featuring

Anglo-polish Ballet

Genres

War and Documentary

Country

United Kingdom

Language

No Dialogue with English subtitles

Subjects

World War II Polish Army Military training Warsaw Bomb damage Ballet Weddings Scottish people Polish people Poland European traditional dance Waterfalls Troop movements

Watch for free

New Perspectives: Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror New Perspectives: Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror

Short documentary 2025 3 mins

Harry Coghlan of Northumbria University explains why FW Murnau's 1922 vampire story is an endlessly intriguing work of art.

Watch for free

New Perspectives: La Haine New Perspectives: La Haine

Short documentary 2025 4 mins

Charlie Hammersley, a student from Northumbria University, explains how Mathieu Kassovitz's 1995 film holds up a mirror to society.

Watch for free

Dreamers Q&A Dreamers Q&A

Inside Film 2025 30 mins

The film-makers behind a haunting tale of love and community within a UK immigration detention centre visited the BFI Southbank to discuss their film.