THE VIEW FROM... INDUSTRY
PAST AND PRESENT The ripple effects of World War II are sensitively handled in The Pianist (below), Ida (right) and A Real Pain (left)
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FILM IS AN IMPORTANT INDUSTRY FOR THE entire economy of Poland ” THREE DECADES DOWN When the founding committee created the PSC, it was essentially a workers’ union. “We were fighting for royalties, that was the real reason we started,” shares Kleszczewska, though she was not an original member. “At the time the system was changing, but we’re still protecting our jobs and our position in the film industry. Now, we have a strong movement of producers. We’re working more and more with big studios like Netflix as well as Polish companies.” To join the PSC, “you need to have at least two feature-length films and to
coastal spots and rural countryside. “We have a long history,” she adds, pointing to architecture ranging from the Middle Ages to pre- and post-communism. With a history that dates back to the thirties, Poland’s film industry is highly developed, according to Kleszczewska. “Practically speaking, we’re prepared for everything.” Complete with rental houses, technically trained crews and various traditional and virtual studios, the country is, as Kleszczewska suggests, on par with what leading film hubs offer. Despite this enviable variety of amenities, a standard Polish production
comes with a small crew, short schedule and tight budget – unless it’s a co-production. “When we are producing our own movies, there is not so much money,” Kleszczewska admits. “We’ll often be doing 30 or 40 12-hour days with a crew of 50 or 60. “But the crews are very professional, fast and hard-working,” she continues, highlighting that many filmmakers – including herself – study under skilled auteur directors like Andrzej Wajda and Wojciech Jerzy Has at Łódź Film School, the country’s oldest and most highly regarded cinematic institution.
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