Poland produced some of the most distinctive poster art of the 20th century, largely because the state-run film and theatre industries gave artists unusual creative freedom. Rather than following the client's brief, designers were trusted to interpret a film or production through their own visual language, which is why Polish cinema posters often look nothing like the films they advertise. The result was a genuine movement, spanning the 1950s through the 1980s, where commercial work and fine art were genuinely hard to tell apart. All period originals shown here come from that tradition.