“I feel a bond with Toruń.” A conversation with Ksawery Szlenkier.

What does working with Krzysztof Zanussi mean to you?

I think it is a very powerful highlight in the life of any artist to be able to meet such a master – a man of such class, culture, knowledge, and experience. A particular measure of Mr. Krzysztof’s class is that he doesn’t like to be treated that way; he doesn’t impose it, he is simply humble. This makes the relationship genuinely human. When we are working on specific scenes, Mr. Krzysztof is highly attentive to the actor. He guides you, but he doesn’t force things; he grants a certain freedom. That makes me feel like a co-creator of this film, which gives me a great sense of comfort.

I watched from a bit of a distance as Mr. Krzysztof briefed you and your co-star on the set by the Vistula River – that quiet conversation in the dimmed tent, explaining the role. What is the work like on set?

A lot depends on the director’s personality and the constellation of people around them. There is no democracy on a film set, and the example comes from the top. If a director speaks calmly and is patient with the crew and the actor – who needs time to map out a sequence of actions and connect them with emotions – then that approach spreads to the entire crew. Sometimes an actor’s idea and a director’s vision clash. When that happens, patience and mutual respect are required. Here, we feel a sense of calm and concentration; everyone knows what they are supposed to do, so there is time for a quiet conversation. Mr. Krzysztof explains the emotional direction he wants the scene to take, we have a moment to discuss it – whether to do it this way or that way, or maybe try a different approach, or perhaps change a word in the text to better emphasize a specific intention. When the work is built on conversation, and that conversation is rooted in mutual respect, then all parties feel comfortable. I hope this will also translate into the final result, yielding a cinema… I’m afraid of the word, but alright, yielding a deep film, one that won’t be trivial. And that would be the exact fruit of Krzysztof Zanussi’s personality and experience. For a goal like that, it is worth giving a piece of yourself on set.

How much remains in you as a person, as a human being, after a film? After the character you played?

After every film, what remains is the memory of meeting specific people. You have better chemistry with some and worse with others, that’s obvious, but it’s the people you remember. That is also one of the perks of my profession – that every time it’s a slightly different crew and you get to meet new people. Often, years later, you run into someone you once shared a cinematic adventure with, and a lot of memories come back. However, here in Całopalenie (Burnt Offering), my character touches upon ultimate matters; he crashes into certain emotions like hitting a wall. He can’t control them; they are stronger than he is. I think what will stay with me from this set is the memory of dealing with the character’s extreme emotions. Also, the fact that I tried new things, like flying in a hot air balloon. If there is a feeling – and I do have that feeling – that we gave absolutely everything we could in those specific scenes, it brings professional satisfaction that we touched upon something truly remarkable. The cinema of Krzysztof Zanussi is a different level, a different space than mere entertainment. I have a feeling that this is the kind of film that caters to the need for silence within every human being. The need for contemplation and for being alone with one’s own thoughts and questions, including those that reach the deepest.

This cinematic adventure will stay with me forever. All the more so because I feel a certain bond with Toruń. Our family history is such that while fleeing violence on religious grounds in Germany and the devastation of the Thirty Years’ War, the Szlenkiers – then spelled Schlenker – took refuge in Toruń. They developed their trade and tanning craft here, and it wasn’t until later, in the 19th century, that they moved to Warsaw, where the family continued to grow. However, our beginnings and our first shelter from the turmoil of history were right here in Toruń. I think that spirit of care and hospitality still lives on here. Thank you for allowing me to be here with you.

Thank you for the interview!

Department of Promotion
Paweł Jankowski