| 303 Squadron | |
| Director: | Denis Delić |
| Producer: | Jacek Samojłowicz |
| Based On: | Squadron 303 by Arkady Fiedler |
| Music: | Łukasz Pieprzyk |
| Cinematography: | Waldemar Szmidt |
| Studio: | Film Media |
| Distributor: | Mówi Serwis |
| Runtime: | 99 minutes |
| Country: | Poland United Kingdom |
| Language: | English Polish German French |
303 Squadron is a 2018 biographical war film directed by Denis Delić, written by Jacek Samojłowicz, Krzysztof Burdza, and Tomasz Kępski, and produced by Samojłowicz. It was produced by Film Media in Poland and United Kingdom, and distributed by Mówi Serwis, and features dialogues in English, Polish, German, and French. The film was based on the 1942 book Squadron 303 by Arkady Fiedler. It depicts the history of the members of the No. 303 Squadron, the Polish squadron of the Royal Air Force, which fought in the Battle of Britain, during the Second World War. The film premiered on 31 August 2018.
In 1940, during the Second World War, following the Invasion of Poland, and the Fall of France, the pilots of the Polish Air Force escape to the United Kingdom, where they join Royal Air Force. They become members of newly formed No. 303 Squadron, the Polish squadron, which participates in the Battle of Britain against the Nazi Germany Luftwaffe. Initially, the British officers are reluctant towards Polish pilots, however, they gradually win them over with their successes in the fight. Among the Polish pilots are the squadron commander Witold Urbanowicz, and pilot Jan Zumbach.[1]
The film was based on the 1942 book Squadron 303 by Arkady Fiedler. It depicted the history of the members of the No. 303 Squadron, the Polish squadron of the Royal Air Force, which fought in the Battle of Britain, during the Second World War. The movie was directed by Denis Delić, and written by Jacek Samojłowicz, Krzysztof Burdza, and Tomasz Kępski, and produced by Samojłowicz. The cinematography was done by Waldemar Szmidt, scenography by Marian Zawaliński, costumes by Małgorzata Skorupa, and editing by Peter Devaney Flanagan and Marcin Bastkowski.[2]
The preparations for production began in February 2016.[3] The filming began on 10 August 2016 and lasted until 17 October 2017. It was produced by Film Media in Poland and United Kingdom, and distributed by Mówi Serwis. The scenes were filmed in Poland, in Konstancin-Jeziorna, Drwalew, Obory, Warsaw (Warsaw University of Life Sciences and Sabat Theatre), and Kraków (Polish Aviation Museum).[2]
For the production were rented Hawker Hurricane Mk.XII, and de Havilland Tiger Moth. Two replicas of Hawker Hurricane planes were also made. After the end of the filming, they were donated to the 303 Squadron Museum in Napoleon, Silesian Voivodeship, and the Arkady Fiedler Museum in Puszczykowo, Greater Poland Voivodeship.[3]
The film was promoted with the single "Tylko Ty" by Edyta Górniak, which was released on 27 August 2018.[4]
303 Squadron premiered on 31 August 2018.[2]
| Award | Year | Category | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly Film Festival[5] | 2018 | Grand Prix | ||
| NNW International Film Festival[6] | Door to Freedom | |||
| Polish Film Festival in America[7] | Audience Award | |||
| Strażnik Pamięci[8] | Denis Delić | |||
| Polish Film Award[9] | 2019 | Best Sound | Bartosz Putkiewicz | |
| Złoty Bilet[10] | ||||
| Węże[11] [12] | Embarrassing Film About Important Topic | |||
| Special Care Effect (worst filming mistake) | ||||
| Worst Poster | ||||
| Worst Music Video | Edyta Górniak for "Tylko Ty" | |||
| Worst Director | Denis Delić | |||