Fonds of the State Motion Picture Institution Neptun Film in Gdańsk as a source for research on the motion picture industry in Kashubia in the Polish People’s Republic

Abstract

Cinema in Poland post-1945 was intended to serve as both entertainment and the perfect political tool for agitation and propaganda. Therefore, it was important to expand the network of movie theatres in cities as well as villages, where permanent movie theatres were established and a system of travelling theatres was developed. Cinemafication, as it was called, also encompassed the area of Kashubia. The State Archives in Gdańsk preserve the archive of the institution which – under various names – was responsible for distribution and operations in the motion picture industry during the Polish People’s Republic. The documents reveal much about how the motion picture industry worked in Kashubia.