Z kamerą wśród ludzi. „Wizyta” Marcela Łozińskiego

This article discusses Marcel Łoziński’s The Visit (1974), confronting it with the reality of the Gierek decade and the situation of Polish rural women in the 1970s. The film depicts an ideological conflict between a female farmer interested in literature and theatre, and a journalist as the embodiment of what is modern and urban. The women’s clash is an interesting starting point for a broader discussion on the subject matter, message, and visual aspects of the documentary, particularly in the context of staging and provocation. The paper addresses a very significant issue of media invasiveness and journalism ethics associated with the responsibility of journalists and filmmakers. Using the example of The Visit, the author describes the behaviour and statements of the film characters, and their determination in the presence of the camera. She discusses the cinematography, which plays an essential role in conveying the theses made in the film, the trap of adopting a stereotypical approach to rural populations, the mixed reception of the film, and its links to one of Łoziński’s later productions, So It Doesn’t Hurt (1998).