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NEXT STORY

Ashes

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A film about love
Andrzej Wajda Film-maker
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Francuska kinematografia się interesowała mną i taki producent, który pracował z Romanem Polańskim, też. A właściwie z Basią, żoną Romana Polańskiego zrobił film. Postanowił zrobić film, jak się kochają w różnych krajach młode pary. No i żeby zrobić film, który się dzieje we Francji, w Niemczech, Japonii i w Polsce. Cztery. Pięć opowiadań. Polskie opowiadanie powierzył mnie, ja z kolei zwróciłem się do Stawińskiego, żeby on zrobił z tego scenariusz. Scenariusz powstał z opowiadania, które ja wyczytałem w gazecie. Mianowicie, że do zagrody niedźwiedzi w ogrodzie zoologicznym we Wroclawiu wpadło małe dziecko i jakiś młody człowiek się znalazł, który wskoczył tam do środka i to dziecko wyratował przed tymi niedźwiedziami. No to wiedziałem, że tym człowiekiem na pewno będzie Zbyszek Cybulski. Więc przynajmniej miałem mojego bohatera po latach. I tu muszę powiedzieć, że to niewielkie opowiadanie w tym filmie bardzo mnie ożywiło nagle. Zbyszek zagrał człowieka, który może kiedyś tam występował w Popiele i diamencie, ale dzisiaj w bereciku i w takim paletku przyciasnym sprawdza liczniki z elektrowni, jedzie na rowerze i dopiero kiedy jest lekko pijany w towarzystwie młodzieży, dopiero wtedy wychodzi z niego ten człowiek, którym był kiedyś. No, wydaje mi się, że ten film spełnił swoje zadanie i jakby tak nagle uświadomił mi, że istnieje jeszcze jakaś rzeczywistość w Polsce, którą warto by obfotografować, ale nie miałem takiego scenariusza, nie miałem takiego wyraźnego pomysłu.

French cinematography was interested in me and the producer who worked with Roman Polański was, too. In fact, he was making a film with Basia, Roman Polański's wife. He'd decided to make a film about how young couples in different countries make love. The film was to be made in France, Germany, Japan and Poland. Four. In Germany - five stories. He gave me the Polish story to work on while I turned to Stawiński asking him to prepare the screenplay which was based on a story that I had read in the newspaper. Namely, a small child fell into the bear's enclosure in the zoo in Wrocław and some young man turned up, jumped into the enclosure and saved the child from the bears. I knew that this young man was definitely going to be Zbyszek Cybulski. So at least I had my hero after all these years. I have to say that the short story in this film suddenly revitalised me. Zbyszek played someone who perhaps had once appeared in Ashes and Diamonds but now, wearing his beret and a coat that was a little too tight for him, read electricity meters and rode a bicycle and it was only after he'd had a few drinks in younger company that the person he'd once been came out again. I think this film fulfilled its purpose and suddenly made me realise that there was still a reality in Poland that was worth filming, but I didn't have that kind of script, I didn't have a clear idea.

Polish film director Andrzej Wajda (1926-2016) was a towering presence in Polish cinema for six decades. His films, showing the horror of the German occupation of Poland, won awards at Cannes and established his reputation as both story-teller and commentator on Poland's turbulent history. As well as his impressive career in TV and film, he also served on the national Senate from 1989-91.

Listeners: Jacek Petrycki

Cinematographer Jacek Petrycki was born in Poznań, Poland in 1948. He has worked extensively in Poland and throughout the world. His credits include, for Agniezka Holland, Provincial Actors (1979), Europe, Europe (1990), Shot in the Heart (2001) and Julie Walking Home (2002), for Krysztof Kieslowski numerous short films including Camera Buff (1980) and No End (1985). Other credits include Journey to the Sun (1998), directed by Jesim Ustaoglu, which won the Golden Camera 300 award at the International Film Camera Festival, Shooters (2000) and The Valley (1999), both directed by Dan Reed, Unforgiving (1993) and Betrayed (1995) by Clive Gordon both of which won the BAFTA for best factual photography. Jacek Petrycki is also a teacher and a filmmaker.

Tags: France, Germany, Japan, Poland, Ashes and Diamonds, Roman Polański, Barbara Polańska, Zbyszek Cybulski, Jerzy Stefan Stawiński

Duration: 2 minutes, 4 seconds

Date story recorded: August 2003

Date story went live: 24 January 2008