Acting Is About Transformation: An Interview with Anna Szymańczyk

“My role in Dom dobry (Good Home) is a small one. Nevertheless, I’m glad I was able to take part in the film, because I happen to be the vehicle for a very important piece of information: the hand signal for asking for help. It’s an internationally recognised gesture, yet few people know about it,” says Anna Szymańczyk.

 

To begin with, I have a slightly unusual question. Do you feel any connection with Nicole Kidman?

No. Should I?

If you believe in astrology and horoscopes, then yes, because she was born on the same day as you, albeit in a different year.

I would love to have a career like Nicole Kidman’s. She’s an actress who has continued to surprise audiences for many years. Actually, yes! To be honest, I do feel some kind of connection. One of her recent films, Babygirl, is about a mature woman who chooses a younger partner, and it features some daring bedroom scenes. The film was important to me because I had just finished working on Lady Love, a series about the adult film industry. I also had to confront some of the same things she did. I’m no longer twenty, either, and I have a body that has lived through its years.

It’s not easy to cope with a role like that psychologically. Such performances often meet with social ostracism, and I admire her for having the courage to take that path. Of course, our market is completely different, and I think something like that would be impossible in Poland. But I wish all of us who love watching films and making them could have an industry that develops in the same way as the American one.

You’ve come to Toruń for the BellaTofifest Festival to present the film Dom dobry (Good Home). Many viewers say that it tackles an extremely important subject, but why is it portrayed so graphically?

That’s the essence of Wojtek Smarzowski’s approach to filmmaking. He strips away all the pretty façades we hide behind, exposes the dark side of the human soul, and has been doing so consistently for years. I have to say that I admire his consistency. He also has an extraordinary ability to identify social issues that may not seem particularly important when he starts making a film, but by the time it comes out, everyone is talking about them. He seems to have some kind of wonderful social clock and understands where things are heading. He analyses society, public sentiment and social problems. We are the people who bring his vision to life. Of course, my part in this film is a small one. Nevertheless, I’m glad I could be involved because I happen to convey a very important piece of information: the hand signal for asking for help, which deserves to be more widely known. It’s an internationally recognised gesture, yet few people know about it. Naturally, I envy those who took on the film’s demanding and emotionally challenging roles, but I think the casting was excellent and that this is simply an important film. Is it graphic? Probably, for people who have never experienced this kind of violence. For those who have, it serves as a painful reminder. Many people in our society, particularly women, have been affected by this issue, and some say that what they went through was even worse. It’s a difficult film, yet despite its subject matter, it has attracted a very large audience. Kler (Clergy) also dealt with a controversial subject and drew a huge audience.

I’ve recently finished working with Jagoda Szelc at the Dramatic Theatre on the play Muszenie, which explores the subject of adult children from dysfunctional families (ACoAs). It’s striking how many people identify with this problem. So, in the end, I think society really does want to heal and find a better path forward.

You emphasised Smarzowski’s consistency because, as the saying goes, he really doesn’t pull his punches in his films. Just think of Wołyń (Volhynia) or Dom zły (The Dark House), both deeply disturbing films.

Absolutely. The first Wesele (The Wedding) was also considered a comedy. I don’t laugh at it. It explores the deeply troubling subject of Polish narrow-mindedness and hypocrisy. It exposes all the repulsive traits we have as a society and as a country. It gives us no respite. He consistently drags all our dirty laundry into the open and shows us what we are like – or what we might become if we don’t put a stop to it.

When it comes to the first The Wedding, one is reminded of a line from Gogol’s The Government Inspector: “What are you laughing at? You are laughing at yourselves!”

Exactly. I consider that film one of the greatest of all time, much like Dzień Świra (Day of the Wacko), which works in a similar way. You laugh up to a certain point, and then Adaś Miauczyński, the film’s protagonist, starts speaking through you, and you think: “I’m like that, too.” These are important films that have a real impact on audiences. This is the kind of cinema worth making. Although not exclusively this kind – entertaining films are necessary, too. After all, we don’t always feel like watching something in the style of Smarzowski.

You mentioned that you’ve heard viewers are afraid to watch this film.

I’ve heard many comments along those lines, too: “I’m afraid to watch Dom dobry,” “I haven’t seen it because I’m going through a difficult time,” or “I’m not in the right mood for it.” Even people who haven’t seen the film are starting to think about these issues simply because of the public debate it has sparked. So, I’m glad these films are attracting such large audiences. Wojtek does this deliberately, and he is carrying out an enormous amount of socially important work. It’s wonderful to be able to take part in his films and accompany him on this journey. Besides, the actors I meet there, and the artists who work on his films in general, are extraordinary people. Everyone is deeply committed to the project. Wojtek doesn’t have random people on his crew, either, whether in the technical and artistic departments or among the actors. That makes me all the happier whenever I get the chance to be part of it. I’ve appeared in three of his films: Kler (Clergy), the second Wesele (The Wedding), and Dom dobry (Good Home). It’s a great pleasure. My roles are small, but I appreciate being included in this group. I realise that with Wojtek, even the smallest part matters. As a director, he knows why he chooses particular people and how to make brilliant use of them, even in the briefest appearance. It’s extraordinary.

I hope this isn’t the end of our collaboration and that I’ll have the opportunity to work with him again, because he’s an incredibly inspiring, intelligent and compelling person. Although he’s rather reserved and introverted, working with him is a genuine encounter with someone who cares about the people he works with and knows exactly why he chose them.

Staying with the subject of image and public perception, you don’t allow yourself to be pigeonholed. You take on extremely serious roles, but you also appear in television series, comedies and romantic films.

I’m absolutely delighted about that. Some people might see it as inconsistency, but I simply believe that this profession, as I keep saying, is about transformation, and that’s what I find exciting.

I want to encourage people to reflect, to think about who we are, but I also want to give them a chance to breathe, because I believe that’s part of my job. Acting is a strange profession. On the one hand, we’re expected to express opinions on social issues and take a stand on all sorts of things. On the other, we work in what could broadly be described as a form of luxury service. We’re expected to provide either catharsis or entertainment, and I see no contradiction in that. Every one of us is made up of different experiences. Sometimes we laugh and enjoy ourselves; at other times, life weighs us down. I think acting is, above all, about being human. It’s a profession that should bring people joy while also giving them something to think about. That’s simply how human beings are made: nobody is sad all the time. Even the gloomiest person will have moments when they smile or something brings them joy, if only briefly. If I can offer people that, then that’s wonderful. Of course, the audiences for Smarzowski’s films or Lady Love are different from those who watch the romantic comedies I appear in. But why shouldn’t I try to reach a wider audience? Perhaps someone will follow my work and decide to watch a film outside their usual range of interests. Perhaps I’ll help broaden their horizons. That would be wonderful. There’s another thing to consider, too. In addition to our artistic vision and the sense of purpose we bring to our work, acting is also how we make a living. So, naturally, appearing in a daily television series offers a degree of convenience and financial security. The nature of our profession means that we often have no idea what we’ll be doing a month from now. That’s why we take on television series.

Not every actor, however, is willing to appear in a television series.

Some actors choose not to because it conflicts with their philosophy of the profession. I respect that very much, but there are actors like me, too. Piotrek Głowacki, for example, works in art-house cinema but is also perfectly happy to appear in a daily television series. We meet there on set. There are many actors who take the same approach. Nicole Kidman, whom we mentioned earlier, is another example. She sometimes appears in ambitious, artistically challenging films, but she’s equally unafraid of taking on a crime series or a musical. I find all of that interesting. I never thought I was good at comedy, but it turns out I am. I never imagined I’d appear in Na dobre i na złe, a series I watched as a young girl, and yet here I am, acting in it. I get to work with some outstanding actors there. I believe that no honest work is beneath anyone. None of the projects I’ve taken part in has conflicted with my personal philosophy of life.

Now, after Netflix’s huge productions, television series are viewed very differently in the film industry.

Yes. Of course, there are daily television dramas designed to appeal to a different audience. But series made for streaming platforms, in the broadest sense, are often essentially long films. They’re produced to a professional standard and involve the same directors who make outstanding films, the same production designers, cinematographers and all the many other specialists who work behind the scenes. They’re the same people simply making a longer film. Is acting in a series different? I don’t think so. Especially when it’s a self-contained story, it’s really just an extended film, because you can approach the role as a complete arc. Sometimes I catch myself calling Lady Love a film. I prepared for it exactly as I would for a feature film, even though it consisted of six episodes. Sometimes these series are better than films. A sitcom that airs daily, of course, requires a very different approach.

Let’s stay with Lady Love, because it tackles a controversial subject: the adult film industry. It’s still very much taboo.

Taking on that role probably required a certain amount of courage. Naturally, I wondered what it might mean for my future career. Would I end up being labelled as an actress who plays adult-oriented roles? That didn’t happen. After Znachor (The Quack), I was similarly afraid I’d end up playing only women from the countryside, characters I absolutely adore, incidentally. There’s a great deal of wisdom in those women. Still, I was worried about being typecast, so when I was offered the role in Lady Love, I was delighted. It was at the opposite end of the spectrum. The role required courage, as well as some serious soul-searching: was I ready to expose my body in that way? More than anything, though, it required emotional readiness, because the series covers an enormous range of emotions that I had to convey. In fact, I portray this woman over the course of three, perhaps even four, decades. Naturally, she changes, not only physically but psychologically as well. One of the most interesting challenges was finding the character and making her believable. It was also great fun working with the 1980s costumes. And then there was the opportunity to work with Bartek Konopka, an outstanding director, as well as with German actors. It was a fascinating encounter and a bold project. Perhaps the greatest challenge wasn’t what first comes to mind – nudity – but rather emotional exhibitionism. That was much harder. The relationship with my daughter in the series was difficult and painful for me to portray.

The roles you play are very diverse. Is there a dream role you haven’t been offered yet?

I’d love to play something in the vein of Dangerous Liaisons. To be perfectly honest, the film starring John Malkovich and Glenn Close, whom I absolutely adore, represents something of an acting ideal for me. I regret that she hasn’t received more recognition in the form of awards. For example, she hasn’t won an Oscar. I think it’s a magnificent work of art. I haven’t yet had the opportunity to act in anything of that kind. I’ve never played an elegant woman in a ball gown, or a queen or a duchess. Nor have I played a character who is cold, aloof and withdrawn. I’ve done that in theatre, but not on screen. So, I hope those kinds of offers are still ahead of me. Generally, I’m open to all sorts of opportunities, and I’m waiting for some madman of a director to see something different in me. When someone tells me they’d like to do a photo shoot with me and asks what kind of character I’d like to portray, I reply: “What do you have in mind for me? What do you see in me?” Because I’m genuinely interested in what someone else sees in me.

A major milestone in your career was your role in Znachor (The Quack).

Playing Zośka opened the door to many opportunities, and I’ll always be grateful to Michał Gazda for that experience. I thought it was just an ordinary role. It was the audience who saw something extraordinary in her. I’m glad I was the one who got to play her.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m still acting in theatre, as I’m a permanent member of the Dramatic Theatre company. I hope some interesting opportunities will come along.

And if Wojciech Smarzowski happens to read this, he already has your phone number.

He certainly does! I once promised him that I would do my very best with any role he entrusted to me.

In fact, that’s how I approach this profession in general: it doesn’t matter whether a role is large or small, supporting or leading. Sometimes you meet people who help you grow, and sometimes there are important projects you really want to be part of. That’s my philosophy: if something interests me, I’m absolutely in.

Sometimes a supporting role can turn out to be that proverbial Old Veteran whom everyone remembers.

Exactly. I have a feeling that I managed to achieve something like that with Zośka. The role was originally conceived as a supporting one, but somehow, together with the entire team, we managed to create something that really took off and captured the audience’s attention. I truly take my hat off to them.

Paweł Jankowski
Department of Promotion

8 October 2026