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2000 – Ha pp y Ma n (Szczęśl iw y czło w ie k): Szumo wska ’s f u ll-len gt h f ea tur e deb u t. A mo th er a n d s o n st o ry ; a signalin g o f ma n y o f t h e t o p ics a n d motifs (illness,
sin-gl e mo th erho o d , facin g de at h, t h e desp e-ra te need f o r lo ve ) t h at r ea p p ea r in most o f Szumo wska ’s mo vies. 2000 – M ar ri age i n a H ouse o f Lo n el in es s (Śl u b w do m u sa m ot n ości ): a do cu men ta ry a b o u t an un usual co u p le w h o decide t o g et ma r-ri ed . S h e is slig h tl y men tall y dis ab led , w h ile he is a n alco ho lic. 2001 – Do cu m en ta ry … ( Do ku m en t… ): a mo vie Szumo wska made a b o u t her fr iends, w h o sp ea k t o t h e ca mera a b o u t th eir li ve s, fa milies a n d tr o u b les. I n t h e end , i t t u rn s o u t t o b e a do cu men ta ry ab o u t do cu men ta ry as suc h . “ W e do n’ t usuall y b eha ve t h is wa y… ,” o n e o f t h e c h a-rac ter s s ays. W h y is t h at? This is a q u es tio n th at a ris es as o n e wa tc h es t h e mo vie . 2004 – Cr ossr oa d : r ep res en te d P o la nd in t h e in te rn at io nal p ro jec t Vi si on s o f E u ro pe . Szumo wska film s a w o o den cr oss st an -din g a t a cr ossr oads a n d e ver yo ne w h o pa ss es b y. 2004 – St ra n ger (On o): a f ea tur e film a b o u t a girl w h o b eco mes p regna n t, b u t has n o bod y s h e c an r el y o n . 2005 – Fa th er ( Ojci ec ): a sho rt f ea tur e film (pa rt o f t h e So li da ri ty , S ol ida ri ty [So li d ar -n ość, S ol ida rn ość ] fi lm p ro jec t). An a u to -b iogra p h ical fa th er -da u gh ter st o ry s et aga-in st t h e bac k gr o u nd o f P o lish hist o rical ev en ts f ro m t h e la te 20t h cen tu ry . 2005 – My F at h er M ac ie k (M ój ta ta M ac ie k): a do cu men ta ry p o rt ra it o f Szumo wska ’s fa th er , M aciej Szumo wski , a w ell-kno wn jo ur nalist w h o wi th dr ew f ro m p u b lic lif e af ter t h e p o li tical tra n sf o rma tio n in 1989. 2006 – N ot h in g T o B e S ca re d O f ( A cze go t u s ię bać ?): a do cu men ta ry a b o u t f o lk f u neral ri tu als slo w ly sinkin g in to o b li vio n . 2008 – 33 S ce n es f rom L ife ( 33 sc en y z życia ): th e st o ry co ncen tra tes o n J u lia, w h os e p ro-misin g a rtistic ca re er is in te rr u p te d b y a s er io u s fa mil y cr isis: fir st she los es her mo th er , t h en her fa th er dies a n d her r ela-tio n shi p wi th a t alen ted co m p os er disin te-gra tes. The st o ry is la rg el y bas ed o n Szu-mo wska ’s p ri va te lif e. Thes e f o ur do cu men ta ries p lus tw o sho rt a n d th re e f u ll-len gt h f ea tur e film s r ep res en t, g ene-rall y sp ea kin g, almost a decade o f mo vie-makin g b y M ałg o rza ta Szumo wska. Y et, s ta ti-stics a re no t t h e issue her e. A s a vie w er , I tr ied to grasp t h e a b o ve-men tio ned filmogra p h y in its en tir ety ; I lo o k ed , in o ther w o rd s, f o r a s p e-cific a rtistic st am p t h at Szumo wska lef t o n ea ch o f her mo vies. H av e I dis co ver ed a n y tra-ces o f suc h a t h in g? The a n sw er t o t h is q u estio n ca n b e f o und in t h e fir st pa ragra p h, in w h ic h I o u tl ined Szumo wska ’s film o u tp u t o ver t h e last decade . H o w ev er , co n sider in g th at a n at te mp t at a c o mp re h en si ve lo o k at an yb o d y’ s o u tp u t mig h t b e inf ec ted b y sim p li-fica tio n o r misus e, I do no t wa n t m y im p res-si o n s o f t h is a rt is t’s w o rk t o b e s ee n a s a n u lt i-ma te ju dgmen t. One o f t h e c h ar ac te rs f ro m 33 S ce n es f rom L ife is a cc u se d o f s ay in g t o o o ft en: “ I do n’ t kno w ”; I a m s u re t h at Szumo w-ska her self w o uld no t r ep ea t t h is acc u sa tio n to wa rd s t h e a u dience o f her mo vies. I n t er m s o f t h e traces I f o und , tw o ma jo r fields ca n b e ma rk ed o u t: 1. t h e need f o r lo ve , 2. facin g de at h o r a s er io u s illnes s. Thes e tw o a re as, f u ll o f t h o u gh t, emo tio n a n d co m p lica te d h u ma n r ela tio n shi ps, gi ve a r o ug h
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v aria an d im p er fec t, b u t s till r elia b le vie w o f Szu-mo wska ’s mo vies o ver t h e last decade . The si tu at io n b eco mes e ven mo re in te re stin g in th e co n text o f t h e co n st an t al te rn at io n b etw e-en do cu men ta ries a n d f ea tur e mo vies – t h e fo rm er s eem t o in sp ir e t h e la tt er , b u t t h e re ve rs e i s a ls o t ru e. I t i s m o re li k el y t h at S zu -mo wska o w es t h e co her ence o f her filmogra-p h y t o t h is fac to r. B u t s o met h in g mo re needs to b e added her e: t h e dir ec to r’ s p er so n al a n d fa mil y hist o ry sho ws t h ro ug h ma n y o f t h e st o-ri es t o ld s o f ar . W h y i s t h is s o im p o rt an t? B eca us e i t is a n o ther co mmo n t h re ad , a n o ther trace t h at ca n b e e asil y f o und in mo re t h an on e s tor y or s cr ipt . B efore I fo cu s on t h e distin guished mo tifs (lo ve , illness, de at h), let me gi ve o n e c h ar ac te ri stic exa m p le o f t h e fa mil y t o p ic , w h ic h s eem s t o tie t o ge th er th e dir ec to r’ s b o d y o f w o rk. P ar ts o f t h e do cu men ta ry My F at h er M a -cie k co n ta in video ma te ri al t ak en f ro m fa mil y ar ch iv es – i ts a u th o rshi p is c le ar , since w e kn o w fr o m th e be gi n n in g th at th e m ai n c h a-rac ter (t he dir ec to r’ s fa th er , M aciej Szumo w-ski) was, a m o n g his o ther p ro fes sio n s, a film-mak er . An y ast u te o b se rv er co u ld mak e o u t th at so m e pa rt s o f th e sa m e a rc h iv al m at erial s w er e us ed b y Szumo wska in tw o o f her f ea tur e mo vies – Fa th er and 3 3 S ce n es f rom L ife . D es p it e t h e ma te ri al i ts elf (a s et o f va ri o u s s ce-nes sho t b y M aciej Szumo wski , most ly d u ri n g his ca re er as a t ele visio n jo ur nalis t), t h e deci-sio n t o us e i t has significa n t co n seq uences. U n lik e t h e do cu men ta ry My F at h er M ac ie k, th er e a re no distinc t sign s in t h e tw o o ther mo vies men tio ned t h at t h e a verag e vie w er – wi th o u t a n y kno w ledg e o f Szumo wska ’s fa mil y b ack gr o u nd – wo u ld a u to ma ti ca ll y r el ate to her p er so n al lif e (a nd t ap es f o und b y c h an ce – as ha p p ens in 33 S ce n es f rom L ife – ca n b e tr e-at ed as sim p ly a n y t ap es). The j u xt ap osi tio n o f her p er so n al lif e wi th her film a rtw o rk is e asy to gras p b eca us e o f t h e leg enda ry his to ry o f Szumo wska ’s pa re n ts ’ ma rr iag e (t he w o rd ‘leg end ar y’ ha vi ng b een us ed in My F at h er Ma ci ek ). M aciej Szumo wski pass ed a w ay ju st a f ew w eeks a ft er t h e de at h o f his wif e, D o ro ta T erak o wska; a pa rallel st o ry t ak es p lace in 33 S ce n es f rom L ife . I w o u ld no t g o s o fa r as t o cl aim t h at b ein g co n scio us o f t h es e mo vie-r eal lif e co nnec tio n s (a lis t o f w h ic h ca n b e expa n-ded fa r b ey o nd t h e exa m p le a b o ve) is necess a-ry t o find t h e k ey t o Szumo wska ’s filmogra p h y. I w o u ld ra th er call i t a stra te g y o f le av ing tr a -ces , w h ic h f u nc tio n her e as t h e dir ec to r’ s sub-tl e signa tur e a n d p ro o f o f her dra w in g f ro m p er so n al exp er iences, b u t w h ic h do no t signi-fica n tl y limi t t h e wider mess ag e. An ex cellen t exa m p le o f t h is is Fa th er , t h e s eco nd mo vie co n ta inin g s cenes f ro m Szumo wska ’s fa mil y ar ch ives. The film co
u ld indeed b e p er cei ve d mer el y as t h e p ri va te s to ry o f a fa th er -da u gh -te r re la ti ons h ip ( th e m o d el s for b o th of t h e ma in c h ar ac te rs a re e asy t o iden tif y). B u t, af ter a ll , t h is is no t w h at t h is sto ry is a ll ab o u t. It t el ls a n d m ea n s mu ch m o re a s a p ar t o f t h e se ries So li da ri ty , S ol ida ri ty , w h ic h tra n sf er s th e indi vid u al t ale t o t h e le ve l o f s o met h in g re p res en ta ti ve f o r a la rg e p er cen ta ge o f a cer-ta in g enera tio n . L et me q u o te w h at t h e f emale na rr at o r s ays, r ecallin g t h e time o f a p o li tical tu rn in g p o in t: E ver yt hin g a ro u nd me c h an ge d f ro m o n e da y to t h e next. The Ro und T ab le , a n d a ft er w ar ds t h e fir st , almos t f ree , elec tio n s. And me? M y fir st ciga re tt e in hidin g, a n d m y fir st almost r eal lo ve . I w en t t o hig h s cho o l in a dif fe re n t co un tr y. I guess t h e o n e m y fa th er had f o ug h t f o r. W h at I co u ldn ’t under st an d was w h y he was s ad mo re o ft en no w in st ea d o f en jo yin g his ha rd -w o n fr eedo m . Once a ga in, M ałg o rza ta Szumo wska t u rn s t o her o w n past in o rder t o us e i t as a v ehic le f o r wide-ra n gin g mess ag e. This inc ludes, fir st o f all , t h e fa th er ’s s adness men tio ned in t h e final pa rt o f t h e q u o ta tio n, w h ic h t ells a lo t a b o u t th e ess en tial fac to r o f t h e w h o le st o ry (w hic h co u ld b e called ‘ d is ap p o in tmen t’ a t w h at ha p-pe n ed wi th so m e o f th e h o pe s th at m an y p eo p le o f S o lida ri ty o n ce sha red). The mo vie als o has a r ev ealin g endin g: a silen t t ak e o f a ma n si tt in g a n d smo k in g in his o ld a n d ra th er g lo o m y ki tc h en, f o llo w ed b y t h e imag e o f his gr o w n-u p da ug h ter , s p ea kin g in f ro n t o f
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th e ca mera f ro m a n immac u la tel y c le an r o o m . Ther e is no do ub t t h at t h e ac tr ess (M aj a O st a-sze wska) is s u p p os ed t o lo o k lik e M ałg o rza ta Szumo wska, w h ile t h e ma n b y t h e ki tc h en windo w r es em b les her fa th er . B u t a ga in, t h ey b o th r ep res en t a sp ecific p h eno m eno n , w h ic h is im p lied in t h e w o ma n’ s w o rd s: “ F ra nk ly sp ea kin g, I ’v e f o cu se d o n m ys elf, a n d I do n’ t re gr et i t. I fe el f ree , a ft er all I li ve in a f ree co un tr y. M y fa th er do esn ’t lik e ho w I li ve . H e s ays i t’s a r o ad t o no w h er e. I do n’ t kno w , w e’ re dif fe re n t. B esides, he ’s o ld a n d eccen tr ic. ” Ul ti ma tely , Fa th er p ro ves t o b e a mo vie a b o u t th e less o b vio u s shades o f ha rd -w on f reed om – gr ea t ho p es los e t h eir c le ar sha p e a n d co m-m u nica tio n is no lo n ger e asy b etw een p eo p le w h o us ed t o b e c los e. N ev er theless, t h e dif fe -re nces in t h eir exp er iences s eem ha rd t o igno re . E ven t h o u gh it ma y s o und lik e a cl i-ch é, t h is nine-min u te-lo n g film do es no t le av e t h e vie w er wi th t h e f eelin g t h at it was ju st a n o ther hig h s cho o l his to ry les so n . B u ildin g o n t h e in tima te fa mil y st o ry , Szu-mo wska ma nag es, in her c u st o m ar y ma nner , to co n ve y a mo re uni ver sa l mess ag e: no t o n ly t h e fa th er -da u gh ter r ela tio n shi p is a t st ak e her e, b u t als o – a t t h e s ame time – t h e re la tio n b etw een tw o dif fe re n t g enera tio n s, dissimila rl y a ff ec ted b y t h at “ha rd-w o n fr eedo m ”. The ne ed f o r lo ve Szumo wska ’s p o rt ra yal o f t h e need f o r lo ve is fa r f ro m r o ma n tic s cenes o r co mmo n p lace p h ra se s. I t h as mu ch m o re t o d o w it h t h e p o igna n t a n d pa inf u l f eelin gs ass o cia ted wi th af fe ct io n. I n sp it e o f inhosp it ab le cir cu m st an-ces, t h e desir e t o lo ve a n d b e lo ve d do es no t fade a w ay . W h at mak es Szumo wska ’s p o in t o f vi ew in t h is r es p ec t s o r em ar k ab le is t h at s h e al wa ys ill u mina tes t h e sub jec t f ro m mo re t h an o n e side . The do cu men ta ry M arri ag e i n a H ou se of L one li ness (2000) has a t i ts cen tr e th e s to ry o f i ts ma in p ro ta go n is ts, b u t t h e s u p-p o rt in g c h ar ac te rs als o ha ve t h eir c h an ce t o sp ea k o u t. W h at t h ey s ay p ro ve s t o b e a s mo vin g a n d significa n t as t h e ma rr iag e men-tio n ed in t h e ti tl e. “ I wish I co u ld le ad a q u iet lif e un til t h e end . I wish t h at s o meo n e r esp ec-te d me . I wish I co u ld he ar a kind w o rd f ro m so m eb o d y. B u t i t w o n’ t h ap p en ,” s ay s a n e ld er -ly lad y in a hoa rs e v o ice . S h e is f o llo w ed b y a n o ld ma n w h o s ays e ven less: “ I w o u ldn ’t wish an yb o d y lo nelines s a n d lo n gin g. ” This is f o llo-w ed b y t h e imag e o f t h e ma rr ied co u p le mo vin g f o rw ar d in ha rs h w ea ther (w hic h ca n b e under st o o d in a wider s en se: t h e ma rr iag e o f a n agin g alco ho lic a n d a w o ma n wi th a men tal dis ab ili ty co u ld no t meet wi th a p p ro-val o f t h e s ociety). The fir
st tw o sho ts in M ar ri age i n a H ouse o f Lo n el in es s sho w t h e faces o f b o th p ro ta go n is ts – b u t p ic tur ed s epa-ra te ly ; in t h e last sho t t h ey find t h em se lv es next t o e ac h o ther . W h at mak es t h es e tw o ta k es s o p o w er fu l is t h e co n scio usness t h at no t e ver yo ne a m o n g t h e do cu men ta ry’ s c h a-rac ter s was destined t o find a n y co n so la tio n – al th o u gh t h er e was no b o d y, as w e kno w , w h o did no t wish f o r t h is. Ha pp y Ma n had i ts p remier t h e s ame y ea r. In t h e film, basicall y e ver yo ne disp la ys t h e need f o r lo ve , e ven if t h ey do no t al wa ys wish th is a ff ec tio n f o r t h em se lv es. Tha t is t h e cas e o f a mo th er w h o s eem s t o wa n t no th in g mo re th an t o s ee her s o n, J an, est ab lish a s er io u s re la tio n shi p wi th a w o ma n. The dr ea m co mes tr ue alo n g wi th t h e a p p ea ra n ce o f M ar ta, a sin gle mo th er b rin gin g u p a li tt le girl . S h e falls in lo ve wi th J an a n d tr ies t o hel p him, sho win g him m u ch mo re co mmi tmen t t h an he des er ve s. S h e do es no t ask her self a b o u t th e p o in t o f i t. S h e j u st do es i t. This emo tio nal tr ia n gle is co m p lemen ted b y a s cene o f J an dis co ver in g a n em p ty b ed in a hosp it al r o o m , w h er e he ho p ed t o find his mo th er . S u sp ec tin g th e w o rs t a n d no t kno w in g if his mo th er is wa it in g f o r him bac k ho me , J an (as t h e p lo t su gg es ts) decides t o co mmi t s u icide . I t b eco-mes c le ar t h at alo n g wi th t h e dis ap p ea ra nce o f t h e o n ly o b jec t o f his lo ve , his mo th er , he wa n ts t o dis ap p ea r him self . A s i t t u rn s o u t, b o th w o men a re wa it in g r est lessl y a t ho me in th e ki tc h en, b u t all t h ey ca n dis cer n o u tside th e windo w is sno w .
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v aria The need f o r lo ve in Szumo wska ’s mo vies gi ve s t h e im p ressio n o f i ts b ein g fa r b ey o nd an y logical as su m p tio n – t h is b eco mes q u it e o b vio u s in a r ef er ence t o t h e undes er ve d co m-mi tmen t o f M ar ta f ro m Ha pp y Ma n .This mo ti ve r et u rn s – almost in t h e s ame f o rm – in St ra n ger . E w a, a p regna n t girl , ca n find ma n y co n vincin g r eas o n s f o r no t fallin g in lo ve wi th M ic h ał, w h o b eha ve s (in ten tio n all y) lik e a dr ug addic t. H e tells lies, his exist
ence is f o unded o n a v er y uncer ta in a n d dist urb in g basis, he b re aks p ro m is es a n d lets p eo p le do wn. N ev er theless, all t h es e fa u lts a re in vali-da te d b y E w a’ s fa it h in a ha p p y t u rn o f e ven ts. Sh e is wr o n g, a ft er all – M ic h ał do es no t co me to t h e ra il wa y st at io n as t h ey agr eed . One ca n b e o p p o se d t o t h e logic o f decisio n s t ak en b y th e p ro tag o n ists in Szumo wska ’s mo vies, b u t ev en tu all y t o ug h r eali ty a rr iv es, a n d e ver yo ne has t o de al wi th it . And r eali ty (p er cei ve d her e as s o met h in g co m p let el y indep enden t o f p eo p le ’s will o r exp ec ta tio n s) us uall y win s. The las t w o rd s o f St ra n ger are me an in gf u l – ha vin g j u st gi ve n b ir th t o her ba b y, E w a lies in a hosp it al b ed a n d lo o k in g stra ig h t in to th e ca mera wi th tir ed e yes, s ays: “ Silence . I’ m alo n e. ” Then, a ft er a w h ile , she adds, “I lo ve y o u .” Re al ity w ins – I co u ld no t find a n y b et ter exp ressio n t o r eca p it u la te t h is pa ragra p h. Szumo wska ’s do cu men ta ry en ti tl ed Do cu -me n ta ry … gi ve s w h at is p erha ps t h e mos t he ar tb re akin g a n d me an in gf u l p ic tur e o f t h e h u ma n lo n gin g f o r lo ve . Amo n g t h e dir ec to r’ s acq u ai n ta n ces w h o a p p ea r in t h e mo vie , o n e ca n find a ma rr ied co u p le , t h e b etr o thed , a bac h elo r a n d a sin gle mo th er ra isin g tw o li tt le c h ildr en, w h o s eem s o ver w h elmed b y th e cir cu m st
ances she has f
o und her self in. “N o… ,” s h e s ay s at o n e p o in t, o b vi o u sl y an sw er in g Szumo wska ’s q u estio n . “ N o… I ’m no t ha p p y. B u t I ’m s tr ivin g t o b e… W h y a m I no t ha p p y?
” she asks her
self a n d a n sw er s: “I ’m no t ha p p y, b eca us e I do n’ t f eel … [she pa us es her e f o r t h o u gh t], b eca us e no b o d y lo ve s me! ” This is s aid in a v o ice t h at is filled n o t o n ly w ith so rr o w , b u t al so w ith so m e stra n ge kind o f dis co ver y – as if t h e w o ma n has o n ly ju st r ea li ze d w h at is w ro n g w it h h er li fe . F acin g de ath o r a s erio u s i llness If o n e wa tc h ed M ałg o rza ta Szumo wska ’s mo vies in o n e g o a n d t h en had t o p o in t o u t th eir cen tral figur e a n d unc h an gin g co m p o-nen t, i t w o u ld b e t h e pa ir in g o f illness a n d de at h. S o metimes t h ey wa nder alo n gside e ac h ot h er , ot h er t im es t h ey u lt im at ely m arc h do wn tw o s epa ra te pa th s. N ev er theless, o n e fe at ur e r ema in s co n st an t: t h er e is no wa y bac k to t h e st at e be for e. H u m an re la ti ons h ip s under go tra n sf o rma tio n – f o r g o o d . Szumo wska s eem s t o b e fas cina ted b y t akin g th is pa rt o f r eali ty under o b se rv at io n. E ac h time she do es i t, t h e st o ry unf o lds in a dif fe -re n t w ay . “I t’s g o in g t o b e a n a tt em p t t o find lo ve in th e face o f a trag ed y, in t h e face o f de at h, ”[ 1] Szumo wska s aid in a n in te rv ie w , in tr o d ucin g Ha pp y Ma n , in w h ic h a n ala rmin g medical o p inio n mak es t h is a tt em p t p o ss ib le – in a wa y i t p ro vides a r ele as e f o r deep ly hidden fe elin gs. B u t t h er e is s o met h in g els e w o rt h men tio nin g her e (as a n exa m p le o f a t er ri fic ide a f o r a mo vie str u ct ur e) – o n e o f t h e mo vie ’s p lo t t h re ads is bas ed o n p ret endin g: th e mo th er p ret ends in f ro n t o f her s o n t h at she is all r ig h t; t h e s o n p ret ends in f ro n t o f his mo th er t h at t h e diagnosis was a u sp icio us. The ma in g o al f o r b o th o f t h es e stra te gies is exac-tl y t h e s ame – t o disp os e o f de at h, t o p u sh i t aw ay in to t h e bac k gr o u nd . W h at t u rn s o u t t o b e Szumo wska ’s ac hie vemen t is t h e fac t t h at sh e m an ag es t o s p re ad t h is s cr ip t m o ti f t o t h e p er cep tio n o f t h e mo vie as a w h o le . One ca n al wa ys f eel de at h s o me w h er e ne ar b y, b ehind ev er y decisio n t h e c h ar ac te rs mak e, al th o u gh its p res ence r ema in s co n sist en tl y denied . This is ho w w e de al wi th t h is ine vi ta b le dimen sio n o f o u r exis te nce . This is w h at Szumo wska se em s t o b e s ayin g t h ro ug h her mo vie . [1 ] “ N ie ma m w yjścia – r yzy ku ję! ”, S ep tem b er 2000, h tt p ://t erak o wska.a rt .p l/g o ska.h tm [acces s: 26.10.2011, tra n s. – P .P .].
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