Poland's Oscar stars welcomed home

Poland's triumph in the Best Foreign Language Film category marked the country's first win in that field, despite being nominated nine other times since 1963.

Agata Kulesza, who played a disillusioned Stalinist judge in Pawel Pawlikowski's movie, told reporters of her hopes for a new impulse in Polish cinema.

''We're a great nation, we have very many creative, beautiful, wonderful, talented people - artists and young people who I hope will take this as an energy boost to be active and not hide away, to not say 'it's not going to work out, it's not going to work out,' but to simply go forwards with a kind of energy,'' she said.

Asked whether she is eager to pursue a career in Hollywood, Kulesza said she has ''great material'' in Poland and would not be satisfed with the kinds of roles that would most likely come her way in Hollywood.

Meanwhile, Agata Trzebuchowska, who plays the title role in Pawlikowski's tale of a novitiate nun who discovers her Jewish roots, has reaffirmed that she will not be returning to the silver screen.

The 23-year-old, who had never trained to be an actor, was spotted by chance in a Warsaw cafe by a friend of Pawlikowski's. The director then persuaded her to play the role.

''It was a wonderful adventure with a fantastic ending,'' she said on Tuesday night.

''However, I'm definitely not planning a career in acting.

''I want to wait and work out exacly what I want,'' she added. (nh)

Source: PAP