This is a Soldier’s Story

My conversation with Marianna Bukowski, director and producer of Portrait of a Soldier. This interview was originally published at: http://neweasterneurope.eu/interviews/1772-this-is-a-soldier-s-story%3E/

ADAM REICHARDT: The Warsaw Uprising, which took place in 1944, has been the subject of many films and documentaries, especially since the fall of communism in Poland after 1989. What inspired you to add to this collection with Portrait of a Soldier?

MARIANNA BUKOWSKI: Every director has their own vision — their individual way of understanding something and how they choose to tell that story. We may perceive the Uprising differently from one another, but I love that we, generations of filmmakers following the Uprising, are all in different ways trying to understand this time and creatively express it through our work. I always say that I feel as close to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 as it is possible — for someone that was not actually there at the time. That is part of the allure of filmmaking — boundaries of time and space become more flexible. I wanted to tell the story of the Warsaw Uprising in a way that it resonates with me and why I feel it is such an interesting and profoundly moving subject.

The film is in the first person, with the woman soldier Wanda Traczyk-Stawska (known as “Pączek” or “doughnut”) telling her story. There is no narrator or background information to give the viewer context. Was this intentional? Who is your primary audience for the film?

I wanted to make a film for both a Polish audience that is very familiar with the subject and, in equal measure, for an international audience that generally knows very little about the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. The film is structured to give every viewer, regardless of background knowledge, the opportunity to make a personal connection through the individual perspective of one soldier. The full context of the Uprising — when it happened, why it happened, what the battle was like, what the difficulties were, why it failed and its aftermath –is all there as a part of the narrative. Certainly any viewer unfamiliar with the subject will gain a good understanding of the Warsaw Uprising from the film. But I wanted to stay away from the traditional TV programme structure which relies upon a pre-written script interspersed with contributor lines backing up the argument. As a filmmaker I wanted a true journey where, discoveries could be made along the way. The Warsaw Uprising is a very specific battle, within the context of the Second World War, but Wanda’s experiences also transcend their time. It truly is a universal story of a young woman in wartime, a soldier caught up in an armed conflict.

How did you find your protagonist? What was it like when you first met her?

My aunt’s neighbor knew Wanda and they arranged for us to meet. The first thing you notice about Wanda is that she is actually really short. I am 164 centimetres, and next to her I almost look tall! And that is the thing about Wanda, she very quickly breaks down any preconceived ideas anyone may have of what a soldier should look like. It was this contrast that first grabbed my attention. War makes soldiers out of people you would not expect. Wanda’s story is unusual in many ways and truly remarkable.

And at what point did you decide to make the film about Wanda Traczyk-Stawska?

The first question to ask yourself is why does it have to be a film? Is there an easier way to tell this story equally well? Why not write about it? Making a film is technically difficult and considerably more expensive. With Wanda there were two very clear reasons. Firstly, her story is based on her first-hand account and experience. Wanda was able to tell her own story, and she could tell it well on camera. Many people have a good story, but not everybody can tell it in such a way. Secondly, there was moving archive footage filmed during the Warsaw Uprising of Wanda as a 17 year-old girl, firing her weapon. This is gold.

But I also really wanted to make a film about the Warsaw Uprising itself — in as much as Wanda is an original and in many ways unusual soldier, she is also very representative of her generation. Known in Poland as “Generation 20”, these teenagers that grew up during the occupation to later fight in 1944 in the Uprising, were born in the 1920’s just as Poland had regained its independence. Their sense of social responsibility and duty towards their country was really pivotal in their behaviour and actions during the war.

I come from a different generation. I live in a time when I can, in theory at least, make a film on my laptop. The Warsaw Uprising matters very much to me yet it is not well known outside of Poland. I asked myself, if it is important to me, then what am I doing about it? If I am creative and if I can make a film, then isn’t it my duty to do so? That is how it basically started.

Women in the uprising played just as an important role as men, and through your documentary we learn that in fact there was no difference between them. Is this part of the aim that you wanted to show with the film?

Absolutely. Although not as common, Wanda was certainly not alone in being a woman who fought as an armed soldier. This created a different kind of army and a different atmosphere. Whilst the majority of women in the Uprising were liaisons and first-aid girls, most veteran soldiers would agree that it was those women that were considered the bravest — as the majority of them entered the battlefield unarmed.

There is much discussion in the media in the United Kingdom at the moment on the lack of women represented and remembered in history. I really think that it is our responsibility to challenge this by telling their stories. I feel very fortunate to be able to share Wanda’s life and experiences with a wider audience.

I was struck with the way Wanda Traczyk-Stawska was telling her stories, almost without emotion. While there were moments when you could tell she had a strong feeling about a memory there were no tears; even when she was discussing the death of her close friend. What was it like discussing such topics with her live, what was your reaction when talking with her?

Wanda’s sadness, disappointment, at times anger, is palpable — even on screen. Her story is honest and very brutal. At times, she relives moments and actually speaks in the present tense in the film, which may be lost in the translation, but it is the clarity and honesty in the way she tells her story that makes it so very powerful.

Of course we laughed and we cried during our meetings. I have known Wanda for over ten years now. But as a filmmaker it is my responsibility to stay true to the story that I am trying to tell. And this is a soldier’s story. It depends on the subject, but I quite often find it off-putting when documentary makers allow their protagonist to break down on screen. It feels exploitative, almost like a breach of trust that is kept for effect, but in reality it often takes viewers out of the story. Of course, there are parts in the film that perhaps Wanda would prefer not to be, but in the full narrative of the film they all have a place and purpose and Wanda is, and forever will be, a soldier.

Was your filmed screened in Poland? If yes, how was it received?

Portrait of a Soldier was screened at the Warsaw Rising Museum and the University of Warsaw this summer. I must say that after years of editing this film it was truly incredible to experience the film with an audience that was seeing it for the first time. I was surprised how warmly and passionately it was embraced.

The film also premiered on Polish television (TVP1) in October 2015 and the response has been amazing. In Poland, the Warsaw Uprising is a subject of a continuously heated debate which makes for an arguably tougher audience. So to receive such a positive response is truly wonderful. Many people, from veterans to teenagers, said they found the film unusually moving both in capturing the atmosphere of the time but also in showing different aspects of the Uprising that they felt had not been shown before. And this, of course, is any documentary maker’s dream.

What have you taken away personally from working on this project? And what would be next after this film?

First and foremost, there is a true privilege in having told a story about someone, about a moment in history that means very much to me. From a professional point of view I can take a project from an idea, through production — as director, producer and editor — to a finished film, sell it and market it. That is a wide remit and I feel very happy to have completed it.

I am very interested in Polish history and I have a couple of different projects in various stages of development at the moment. Hopefully one of them will get off the ground. Ideally, I would like to find a co-producer and funding this time around. It would be hard as an independent filmmaker to shoulder the cost of another film on my own, and my heart is in directing.

Marianna Bukowski is a London-based director, producer and editor.

Adam Reichardt is editor in chief of New Eastern Europe.

Portrait of a Soldier is now available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/movie/portrait-of-a-soldier/id1030968582 and on DVD from Journeyman Pictures:http://www.journeyman.tv/68820/documentaries/portrait-of-a-soldier.hd.html