24 Hours of Jadwiga L.
Jadwiga L. works the night shift at a factory and, upon returning home, immediately begins another: caring for her children and running the household. Through the rhythm of clocks, machines and repetitive gestures, Krystyna Gryczełowska’s film reveals the invisible burden of a woman’s life, in which the day never seems to end.
In just fourteen minutes, Krystyna Gryczełowska condenses an entire day in the life of Jadwiga L. – a factory worker, mother and homemaker. After a night shift at a wire factory, Jadwiga returns home to her children, shopping, cooking, cleaning and the countless tasks of running a household. There is little time left for rest – after a few hours of sleep, the cycle begins again. Without commentary or explanation, the film relies on observation and the rhythm of repetitive activities. Clocks, legs, machines and mechanical gestures create an almost choreographic portrait of a day in which paid employment seamlessly turns into another, invisible shift – domestic labour. Made at a time when women’s employment was presented as a symbol of emancipation, Gryczełowska’s film reveals the other side of that promise: instead of freeing women from their burdens, work adds a second shift to their lives.
Krystyna Gryczełowska
Krystyna Gryczełowska (1930–2009) was a Polish screenwriter and documentary filmmaker associated with the “Black Series” of Polish documentary cinema. She addressed social issues including rural poverty, labour conditions, and marginalisation, focusing on ordinary people with sensitivity and ethical attention. Her notable films include Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (1965), Wola Rafałowska, and The 24 Hours of Jadwiga L. (1967).
Reżyseria: Krystyna Gryczełowska
