Personel

Probably Kieslowski's oldest film available in the United States with subtitles, Personel is an interesting look at the people who do things behind the scenes for plays. The main character is outspoken after having just been hired to work with the costume making and is noticed by the higher ups when he suggests the workers start their own cabaret. There is a good contrast shown between the actors and those behind the scenes as far as attitudes toward each other. There are many closeups in the film and it is clear it was probably shot on lower quality 16mm with bad lighting. Nonetheless, it is an interesting view of a different aspect of the theatre as we are normally shown things only about the actors. Films such as Truffaut's The Last Metro and Osten's The Mozart Brothers are two examples of films about theatre actors.