When does society stop being afraid? And what needs to happen for individual dissatisfaction to turn into a collective gesture of solidarity? Through discussion, film, and music, the event Sounds of Democracy: Solidarity returns to moments when culture, civic courage, and the public voice came together to create real social change. At the heart of the programme is the film Człowiek z żelaza / Man of Iron, which captures the birth of the Polish Solidarity movement and reminds us that solidarity is not an abstract concept, but a concrete experience of people deciding to act together. The programme is complemented by contemporary live culture and discussion, connecting this historical experience with the present day.
This event is the fourth edition in the Sounds of Democracy series, which we organise together with the Pohoda festival. Admission to the event is free.
Programme:
16:00 – 18:40
Film screening: Człowiek z żelaza / Man of Iron
19:00 – 19:45
Discussion: Do We Have the Courage to Be Solidary?
20:00 – 20:45
Modré Hory
21:00 – 22:00
Concert: COALS
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME:
Concert: COALS
A Polish music duo moving between alternative pop, electronics, and melancholic experimental music. Their work combines intimate atmosphere, striking visuals, and a contemporary sound where sensitivity, darkness, and club energy meet.
Concert: Modré Hory
Rappers and poets Lyrik and Bene from Generation X, coming from different spheres and places, with distinct temperaments, voices, and styles.
Modré hory, Big Beat, Luxus Clan — and now Čudne slávni. Four albums, a few mixtapes and books, countless concerts, and once again back on the road. Plenty of talk, beats, rap — everything. Čudne slávni, Lyrik and Bene, one stage, and a huge joy of performing. Some call it rap for older generations, but these guys do not care — it is all about the music, and they love it.
Come and lose yourself in the beat with these strangely famous boys.
Film screening: Man of Iron
(Drama, Historical, Poland, 1981, 147 min)
A Polish film directed by Andrzej Wajda about the strikes in Gdańsk and the birth of the Solidarity movement. The film captures the moment when resistance stops happening in secrecy and becomes a public act of collective courage. We are also screening the film on the occasion of the Year of Andrzej Wajda and the 100th anniversary of the director’s birth.
Discussion: Do We Have the Courage to Be Solidary?
Following the screening of Man of Iron, we will open a discussion about the Polish Solidarity movement, civic courage, and what it means to be solidary today. The date, 4 June, commemorates the first partially free elections in Poland in 1989 and the victory of the Solidarity movement. At the same time, we will ask how this experience resonates in contemporary Slovakia — in culture, public institutions, and civil society. Do We Have the Courage to Be Solidary? is a discussion about when society is able to unite, what holds it together, and why solidarity is not something automatic, but a decision.,
Guests:
- Zuzana Wienk – civic activist and director of the Bystriny platform
- Mateusz Gniazdowski, PhD. – political scientist and historian, Chair of the Board of the Connecting Central Europe Foundation
- Ľudovít Nápoký – coordinator of the Anténa network of independent cultural centres
Moderator:
Silvester Lavrík – writer, playwright and director
