WomenCinemakers vol V WomenCinemakers vol V | Page 21

Marika Krajniewska
The pathos and loneliness
of a life in an occupied country
yourself in this medium?
It was cold. Snow was covering the pavements. The
wind was blowing into a face a frozen little girl who was
walking down the street barefoot and hungry. The sun
Since several years I have been deeply involved in writing.
I am an author of several books published in Poland. I write
was slowly hiding behind the horizon, it was getting
about people, their fate and lives. A large part of my artistic
darker and darker… Ukraine, 1932-1933. Hunger. Back
portfolio is devoted to the historical events, particularly
in the 1930's, the Ukrainian territory has been a place
those related to the World War II – however, that’s not
for a drama which involved millions of people. It all
everything. My books, despite the tough nature of covered
happenned because of a single person, praised by mil-
topics, bring me a lot of joy and satisfaction. The writing
lions. Mother with her children is left in the country.
process itself is very important to me. I create my works
with the use of images. This means that it is my imag ination
Ukrainian Holodomor starts. Woman finds herself in an
where I see the scene which I am focused on first.
extreme situation, observing her dying child, hopeless,
without any option of help. The film is a perfect psy-
Then I describe that
chological case study of an individual,
scene, as if I was
“II
wanted
the
movie
to
be
relatively
free.
showing what happens in the mind of
redrawing the thing I
the
employment
of
static have already seen.
the mother, who is, without any effect, Hence
trying to save her children from dying characters, which thanks to lack of the Through
constant
of starvation. It is also a very suggestive proper dynamics, expose their inner self search for the new
ways of development
lesson of history of the Eastern state, in front of us.”
and shaping my art, I
which is as valid today, as it has ever
have started to write film scripts. I may say it without any
been.
doubt – I love this activity. It is very joyful for me. I have
many topics planned to cover. When I have written the
With its masterfully executed scenes and expressive
“Hunger” script, I had shown it to my friends and they said:
do this movie! How? I asked – I am not a filmmaker. And
camera work, Hunger is a psycholo gically acute
how did you become a writer – as my friends replied to my
meditation on the horror of Ukrainian Famine-
doubts with another question.
Genocide.
With
her
characteristic,
intimate
Tarkovskyan style, Marika Krajniewska captures with
And this is how my first movie-related adventure stated. It
harrowing authenticity the pathos and loneliness of a
was a successful and satisfactory adventure, throughout
life in a occupied country. We are honored to present
which I was able to gain a lot of experience. All of the above
the talented Marika Krajniewska for this year's
was possible thanks to the team gathered around the
WomenCinemakers Edition. Marika, tell us about your
movie. Not only did these people, mainly with cinematic
trajectory as a filmmaker. What inspired you to express
experience, help me to realize the movie, they also taught