With great joy and deep emotion—on my own behalf and on behalf of the entire Board of the Helena Modjeska Culture Club: Krystyna Bartkowska, Donna Żuchowski, Ewa Kołakowska, Anna Zalewska, Anna Dudek-Dąbrowska, and Krystyna Okuniewska—we would like to share our reflections following the extraordinary and truly unique event that was this year’s Helena Modjeska Festival in Beverly Hills.

The event, organized under the Patronage of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, Senate Marshal Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles Paulina Kapuścińska, the Mayor of Beverly Hills Sharona Nazarian, as well as the Polish Filmmakers Association and the Polish Film Institute, became a true celebration of Polish culture on the international stage.

What took place in Los Angeles over the past few days exceeded our boldest expectations. It was a great honor for our Club to welcome the remarkable address by the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles, Ms. Paulina Kapuścińska, who spoke about the wonderful and long-standing cooperation between the Consulate and the Club, as well as the great importance of nurturing one’s native culture—an exceptional example of which is the many years of activity within the Polish diaspora community. This was followed by a speech by the Mayor of Beverly Hills, Ms. Sharona Nazarian, who emphasized the value of cultural and artistic heritage, noting that it is of the highest caliber and something of which we should be proud, and who concluded by congratulating the Club on its unique and truly outstanding initiatives.

A multinational audience, distinguished guests, representatives of diplomacy, a delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw, artists, creators, and friends of culture created an atmosphere filled with inspiration, kindness, and genuine admiration for Polish artistic heritage.

As President of the Club, I feel profound pride that once again we were able to unite people through art, demonstrating its timeless power. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Edward Pilatowicz, former President of the Club, for his outstanding co-hosting of our ceremonial Gala.

One of the most important moments of the festival was the formal Gala at the headquarters of the Writers Guild of America West, during which we had the honor of presenting the Helena Modjeska Heritage Award to two outstanding Polish artists: the creative, talented, and dynamic producer Aneta Hickinbotham, and the extraordinary and invaluable cinematographer and director Andrzej Bartkowiak.

Their artistic achievements have for years built bridges between Poland and the world, and their contributions to cinematography-both Polish and American-are beyond measure. It is a great privilege to honor individuals who, through their work, have been promoting Polish art around the globe for many years.

The Helena Modjeska Art & Culture Club in Los Angeles introduced a new annual Festival tradition to honor members whose leadership and dedication had a lasting impact on the development of the Club. In this inaugural year, the Club recognized Jolanta Zych, its longtime former President, in appreciation of her commitment, vision, and many years of devoted service. Her contributions played a significant role in shaping and strengthening the organization.

An equally moving experience was the screening of the film “Chopin: Desire for Love”, directed by Jerzy Antczak. Despite the passage of many years, this work continues to move audiences deeply. The enthusiastic reception by the audience was a source of great satisfaction and joy-also for the Master himself, Jerzy Antczak, and his son, Mikołaj. This is a film that has not lost its relevance; its masterful and powerful screenplay and direction, outstanding performances, and beautiful music present the figure of Fryderyk Chopin in a unique and deeply moving way. As viewers unanimously emphasized, great works never age, because they remain inspiring despite the passage of time. Unfortunately, due to illness, Mr. Antczak was unable to be present and personally share the remarkable story of his artistic journey in the United States, but we would like to bring these stories closer to you below, at the end of this message.

The concert “Chopin: Piano Trio in G Minor” was also exceptional, performed by conductor and violinist Tomasz Gołka, cellist Clement Chow, and pianist Genevieve Feiwen Lee. The artists filled the hall with extraordinary energy, creating a musical community that united listeners across cultures and languages.

Great interest was also drawn by the film screenings at the Crescent Theater in Beverly Hills the following day: “Kulej. Two Sides of the Medal” directed by Xawery Żuławski, and “The Last Family” directed by Jan P. Matuszyński, accompanied by a dynamic and highly engaging conversation with this year’s Helena Modjeska Heritage Award laureate, Aneta Hickinbotham. This is further proof that contemporary Polish cinema resonates with audiences worldwide, addressing universal themes and showcasing the remarkable strength of Polish cinematic storytelling.

From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the organization of this event-our patrons, partners, sponsors, volunteers, artists, and above all the members of the Club and the audience, who gave the festival its unique brilliance.

For over half a century, the Helena Modjeska Culture Club has been bringing the beauty of Polish artistic tradition to the world. This year’s festival confirmed even more strongly that our mission is necessary, inspiring, and widely appreciated.

I firmly believe that this event opens a new chapter in Polish-American cultural cooperation, and that the heritage we cultivate together will remain a lasting bridge connecting people across borders, languages, and generations.

During this distinguished event, we introduced a new tradition: each year during the festival, we wish to honor members of our Club who have had a significant impact on the development of the Helena Modjeska Art & Culture Club in Los Angeles. We decided that Jola Zych, former President of our Club, would become the first recipient of this special recognition.

In closing, I would like to emphasize with immense gratitude that the festival was organized primarily thanks to the support and grants from the Senate of the Republic of Poland, as well as our long-standing cooperation with the Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Los Angeles, the Polish Center, and POLAM- Federal Credit Union.

Special thanks go to Consul General Ms. Paulina Kapuścińska and Consul Mateusz Gmura for their support.

We thank our sponsors for:

The wonderful, appetizing and delicious donuts from “The Best Donuts”-Magdalena and Dominik Golema; 

The beautiful jewelry for the award recipients from “MAKAbizu” — Magdalena Wąsińska-Kowalczyk; 

The graphic creativity of “Indygo Studio” — Ula Jaskółka-Beaudoin; The floral arrangements by Ewa (Violet) Kołakowski; and 

The catering by “U Babci.”

It was also thanks to the tremendous commitment and work of our wonderful Board and of Elizabeth Kanski, Dominik, Antoni and Fabian Leconte, Karolina Czerwczak, Roksana Śmiechowicz, Wioletta and Paul Saleba, Kasia Ligwińska, Eddie Stoke, Greg Kuk, and Allen Thock that it was possible to create an event of such exceptional scale and significance.

As President of the Club, I am deeply grateful to the Board for their vision, creativity, and hard work.

ON THE OCCASION OF THE HOLIDAYS, WE WISH YOU ALL EVERY SUCCESS AND PROSPERITY!!!!

See you soon,

Katarzyna A. Śmiechowicz

President, together with the Board

Helena Modjeska Culture Club in Los Angeles