Women's Month - Morning Conversation with Katarzyna Smiechowicz, March 19, 2022 at 10:30am via Zoom

Helena Modjeska Art and Culture Club celebrates Women's Month with a Morning Coversation with the eminent actress Katarzyna Smiechowicz,  The event will take place via Zoom on Saturday 19 March 2022 at 10:30 am.   Links will be emailed to members. 

KATARZYNA A. SMIECHOWICZ sometimes acting as Kasia A. Leconte is a Polish actress who has been working in Poland and the USA. Katarzyna started her artistic career as a teenager studying acting with many excellent teachers. Initially, she was involved in ballet and theater; over time film and television have become the closest to her heart. Her passion for ballet and poetry turned to acting when a respected Polish actor, Wirgiliusz Gryn, discovered her acting talent and convinced her to pursue acting as a profession. 

Residing in Los Angeles since 2000, she studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and at the Margie Haber Studio. Throughout her career, she has appeared in over 30 feature films and television series having worked with such directors as Steven Spielberg, Krzysztof Krauze, Jacek Bromski, Tomasz Konecki, Andrzej Saramonowicz, and Olaf Lubaszenko.  

Selected film roles include: 

• 2020 -“BEZ SKRUPULOW”, dir. Jacek Bromski, TV series (Wanda)

• 2019- “SOLID GOLD”, dir. Jacek Bromski, Film (Wanda Szulc)

• 2018- “DR. SUGAR”, dir. Paul Saleba - Film (k.m.) (Boo Boo)

• 2015 - “ANATOMIA ZŁA”, dir. Jacek Bromski, Film 

• 2015 - “BILET NA KSIĘŻYC”, dir. Jacek Bromski, Film (Donata KRUGER)

• 2012 - “PARADOKS”, dir. Borys Lankosz, TV series

• 2011 - “WYGRANY”, dir. Wieslaw Saniewski, Film

• 2009 - “U PANA BOGA ZA MIEDZĄ” dir. Jacek Bromski, Film (Ludmiła Niedbałko)

• 2009 - “U PANA BOGA W OGRODKU", dir. Jacek Bromski, Serial TV (Ludmiła Niedbałko

• 2007 - “TESTOSTERON” dir. Tomasz Konecki & Andrzej Saramonowicz Film (Barbie)

• 2003 - “SZPITAL NA PERYPETIACH”, dir. Krzysztof Jaroszynski Serial TV (Monika)

• 2001 - “WIELKIE RZECZY”, dir. Krzysztof Krauze - GRA (odc.2), Serial TV 

• 2000 -“ CHŁOPAKI NIE PŁACZĄ”, dir. Olaf Lubaszenko, Film 

• 2000 -“ BARDZO OSTRY DYŻUR”, dir. Wojciech Mann & Krzysztof Materna, Sitcom TV 

• 1989 - “MDM”, dir. Wojciech Mann & Krzysztof Materna Program TV 

• 1998 - “TALK SHOW JERZEGO K”, dir. Jerzy Kryszak., Program TV

• 1997 - “CIEMNA STRONA WENUS”, dir. Radoslaw Piwowarski, Film 

• 1996 -“ EKSTRADYCJA 2”, dir. Wojciech Wojcik, Serial TV 

• 1996 - “GRY ULICZNE”, dir. Krzysztof Krauze, Film 

• 1996 - “PRZECIĄG” dir. Maciej Zak & Jacek Kecik, Program TV 

• 1995 - “DZIEJE MISTRZA TWARDOWSKIEGO”, dir. Krzysztof Gradowski, Film 

Beyond film and television, she has portrayed many great parts on stage, including Katharina in Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew", and Roza in Juliusz Slowacki's "Lilla Weneda." Kasia's U.S. theater debut was in the leading role of Carrie in "Cafe Hollywood."

In addition to acting in many critically acclaimed roles, Smiechowicz has written scripts and worked as a voice-over actor. She is the President of the Film and Television Studio Kasia Films, through which she aims to create international productions. She is also known for her charity work for the sick and those in need. Katarzyna constantly supports and promotes Polish culture in the USA. With a home on both continents, but a husband in the U.S., she spends most of the time in Los Angeles, but works both in Europe and the States. Her husband Dominik J. Leconte is an executive at Sony Pictures. On July 3rd 2010 Kasia and Dominik welcomed their identical twin boys, Antoni and Fabian at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The multi-talented 10-year-old sons are gaining recognition as child actors and models.

LINKS TO SELECTED FILMS 

• Bilet na księżyc: https://m.imdb.cLINKom/video/vi2355673625?playlistId=nm0993314&ref_=m_nm_ov_vi
• U Pana Boga za Miedzą:https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8rXgD6NUn60
• Idealny Facet dla mojej Dziewczyny: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DkyUkAfdul8
• Szwedzi w Warszawie: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TQD4GZx_gVY
• Przeciąg: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CVQMjZ9YJd8

 

"Papcio Chmiel" Film Screening with his Daughter, Monika Chmielewski Lehman, 27 February 2022

Henryk Jerzy Chmielewski, Wikimedia Commons

 Helena Modjeska Art and Culture Club presented the screening of the documentary film entitled "Papcio Chmiel",  directed by Petro Aleksowski, at the home of Monika and David Lehman, in Pasadena, CA. The meeting was  held at 5:30 pm on Saturday, 27 February 2022.

               

Henryk Jerzy Chmielewski, Wikimedia Commons

"Papcio Chmiel" is a documentary about the Polish artist Henryk Chmielewski - the author of the famous comic book "Tytus, Romek and A'Tomek". When appearing in  the film "Papcio Chmiel" he was 97 years old and his art is seen through the prism of the perception and passion of a 12-year-old boy, and as seen by scholars, students, family and friends.  These multiple perspectives enriched the film. 

The artist, born in 1923, died in 2021, after a turbulent life, incl. participation in the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, in the 7th Infantry Regiment of the Home Army "Garłuch". In 1950–1956 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw at the Faculty of Graphics. He worked as an illustrator in the popular press, and from 1957 he published a series of comics about two boys and their long-tailed friend. He published 31 volumes of this comic book by 2009, and then created a series of unnumbered books about his young heroes taking part in historical events - the Warsaw Uprising, the Battle of Warsaw in 1920, the Battle of Grunwald, the Vienna Relief of King Jan Sobieski, etc

Ulica Papcio Chmiela, Wikimedia Commons

After the buffet dinner at 6pm and the film screening of the film at 7 pm (buffet dinner prior to screening), there will be an interview with the daughter of the artist, Monika Chmielewska Lehman. The  buffet dinner will include two special organic and health dishes created by Eliza Boughous, Ms. Lehman's friend and personal chef - Nutty Red Rice with Herbs and Mushroom Medley. In addition we will serve Armenian Chicken and Japanese Sushi rolls. For dessert homemade cakes: "Bergerowka" by Marek Berger with red oranges, sponge cake with nectarines by Ewa Malachowska and two-color cake by Mary Kubal,

MONIKA CHMIELEWSKA LEHMAN - who organized the event in her home created a tapestry with the likeliness of her father (above) and was working on a tapestry of Our Lady of the Bright Mount for the Catholic Cathedral in California (former site of the Crystal Cathedral). For her generosity she received white tulips and a diploma from the Club. 

https://modjeskaclub.blogspot.com/2018/12/january-12-2019-monique-lehman-and.html

Monika Lehman z najnowszym gobelinem w trakcie pracy

Monika Chmielewski Lehman, Artur Chmielewski z dyplomem od Klubu.

Maja Trochimczyk, Beata Czajkowska, Basia Nowicka, Elzbieta Kanski