New Poster

Here is the poster for 
"Jerzy Popieluszko: Messenger of the Truth".

We are hard at work putting the final touches on the documentary.  More great news about the project coming soon!

V for Victory

A hand raised in a fist, the index and middle fingers extended.  The “V” sign for victory.  This remnant of silent defiance from World War II became the symbol of opposition against the communist government in Poland.  At every demonstration, protest, and mass free Poles gathered together to show their numbers to the forces that wanted to oppress them.  At every gathering the entire crowd, young children and old women, would, as one, raise this symbol in unison.  It was a message to the secret police that would record them, and to the ZOMO (a special brigade of vicious riot police) and militia invariably waiting nearby. 

The V sign was created by Victor de Laveleye, a Belgium politician who directed the French-speaking broadcasts of the BBC during World War II.  He chose V because it was the first letter for the French victoire  meaning “victory” and the Dutch vrijheid meaning “freedom”.  De Laveleye said, "the occupier, by seeing this sign, always the same, infinitely repeated, [would] understand that he is surrounded, encircled by an immense crowd of citizens eagerly awaiting his first moment of weakness, watching for his first failure." 

General Wojciech Jaruzelski

The symbol was widely used throughout Europe during the war, most notably by Winston Churchhill.  When it immigrated to the United States it was used by the counter-culture to symbolize “Peace” during the 1960’s.  In communist Poland, it always meant victory.  The symbol infuriated the authorities, instigating Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski to mention it on the floor of the Sejm (the Polish Parliament).  He said, “Today there are still hands with fingers that are spread in the form of a letter.  Not even one Polish word begins with that letter.  Because of (this letter) it won’t get better in Poland, it can only get worse. “

Despite Jaruzelski’s admonishments, or perhaps because of them, people came to St. Stanislaus Kostka Church and held up this sign.  They held it up to show they were not afraid.  They held it up to speak in one voice.  They said, “We are against you.  We refuse to give up.  There are more of us than there are of you, and we will win in the end.”

It's Been a Long Road

"Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty."  

I doubt Theodore Roosevelt had documentary filmmaking in mind when he said this, but it applies to any endeavor that involves struggle, disappointment, and strife.  This is really the long way of saying that we've been working very hard on the documentary these past few months, but the end product will be well worth the effort.  

We're close to a final edit and are putting the final touches together before sending it out to film festivals.  There is a lot left to be done before then so I better get to it.  Thanks to everyone that has had a hand in this or offered your support.  It's greatly appreciated.

  

Final Trip Post

There are moments in your life that you recognize as important when they happen.  You open your eyes wider, breathe deeper, try to take in all the senses and lock it in your memory forever.  There are times in your life that you don't recognize as important until they are long past.  When only the wisdom of time and experience can imbue those moments with the gravity that you know changed the course of your life forever.  And then there's Poland, 2012.  I knew going in that this was going to be important, but there was so much to do that any time  to savor the moment is put off for later.  Until then the bustle and hurry of the moment blurs the memory.  Only now, safely back in the very warm confines of Jacksonville, Florida, can I slow those memories down and reflect.  

The Black Madonna
of Czestochowa.

The last blog post left off before our trip to Krakow, so that's where I'll start.  On the way to Krakow we detoured to the Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa.  In the chapel off of the main cathedral, behind a plate of silver, hung the Black Madonna of Czestochowa.  Her skin and the skin of the Baby Jesus darkened by fire damage, her cheek scarred by Hussite raiders in 1430, the Black Madonna is intrinsically linked to Polish Catholicism.  Every year faithful Poles make a pilgrimage to see her.  We stood in the chapel looking at the silver protective sheet.  Pilgrims went to the front, knelt, and walked around the shrine on their knees.  The walls were festooned with gifts to the Madonna; rosaries, lockets, cast-off canes and crutches.  Then a sudden blast of trumpets from the sound system.  The silver sheet rose, slowly revealing the Madonna and Child underneath.  She is known as the Queen of Poland.  Hearing the gasps, witnessing the faithfulness, it is easy to see why.

Tony and Caitlyn shooting
in Krakow.

Krakow, Poland

The next day in Krakow we interviewed Cardinal Dziwicz, a longtime friend and secretary for Pope John Paul II.  After that we had some time to enjoy Krakow before leaving for Warsaw.  It was beautiful.  Warsaw was destroyed by World War II and rebuilt by the Communists, but Krakow was largely untouched and the architecture was amazing.

The files of the IPN.

On Tuesday the 6th we found ourselves being led through a warren of hallways, elevators, and more hallways of the offices of the IPN.  The Institute for National Remembrance has been tasked with sifting through the mountain chain of files left behind by the Communists to determine what really happened during the 40 years they were in power.  There was a whole section of the files dealing with the clergy.  Somewhere in a file in a room of that building is a report filed by some Communist functionary detailing what cigarettes Father Jerzy liked to smoke.  Creepy stuff.

The Polish govt. asked the Communist
Party for files.  These shredded documents
are what they received.

The next day we interviewed Waldemar Chrostowski, Father Jerzy's driver.  He was tasked with looking out after Jerzy and driving him to masses.  He was the last friend to see Father Jerzy alive.  His tale is of heroism and heartbreak, and I will save it for another time when I can give it the attention it deserves.

Michal Wysocki at Grzegorz Przemyk's
grave.

On Thursday we went to Kostka church for two interviews, one with Monsignor Cielecki who blessed our venture to tell Father Jerzy's story.  Then we met Michal Wysocki and drove to nearby Powazki Cemetery.  In 1983 Michal drove a 17-year-old Grzegorz Przemyk from the police station to the hospital.  Grzegorz died of massive internal injuries the next day.  Even though there were witnesses and expert medical testimony the authorities covered up the beating by police officers and blamed the boys' injuries on Michal.  It ruined his life.  I couldn't help but be struck by the story of these two when Michal stood in front of Grzegorz grave.  

Tony shooting in Powazki cemetery.

The next day Paul and I hunted down stock footage while Tony and Caitlyn hunted down b-roll footage.  Tony and Caitlyn went to Rome for some more footage of the Vatican and St. Peters while Paul and I stayed behind.  There are miles of footage held by the new television studio, the old Communist studio, and private hands.  In order to tell this story the right way we're going to need to get a look at as much of it as we can.  We flew back to Jacksonville Wednesday having accomplished what we went to Poland for.  We have some great, insightful interviews that tell Father Jerzy's story and the story of his country.  We have wonderfully shot footage of Warsaw, Krakow, and Rome.  We have footage from those times to help us put the viewer in Poland in the early 1980's.  A very successful trip.  One to remember for a lifetime.  

March 4, 10:00 AM

Our producer, Paul Hensler,
in the streets of Old Town Warsa

 It has been a very interesting three days, during which we have completed seven interviews and shot a lot of beautiful footage.  We met with Janusz Kotanski in the Old Town section of Warsaw.  He was in his early twenties working the anti-communist underground when Father Jerzy was giving his Masses for the Homeland.  Recently he worked at the Institute of National Remembrance, an independent organization founded in 1998 by the Polish government in order to set the story straight about what happened in Poland from 1939 to 1989.  He wrote a book about Father Jerzy and had a lot of interesting things to say.  So interesting, in fact, that we scheduled to interview him again this week.

Tony and Caitlyn shooting
the Ronald Reagan statue.  He
is a hero in Poland for fighting
against Communism.

On August 31, 1980, a few days after the strike began at the Huta Warszawa steel mill, the striker's requested that a priest come to say a Mass for them.  Being a Sunday most of the priests were busy, but a skinny priest from a church in the Zoliborz district said he would go.  When Father Jerzy Popieluszko approached the steel mill he saw the gates surrounded by the families and friends of the striking workers.  They were there to bring food, news, love, and to act as a barrier in case the militia wanted to storm the mill. 

Tony and Caitlyn shooting on the
streets of Warsaw. 

No priest had set foot inside Huta.  It was a Communist-run industry and priests were not allowed.  As Father Jerzy approached the gate it was opened and the strikers inside began applauding.  Jerzy thought it must be for someone else.  It was for him.  That day he gave a Mass and listened to confessions in the yard.  That day put him on the path with Solidarity.

Tony shooting the cavernous
Huta Warszawa steel mill.

 And there I stood.  In the same yard where the Mass was held, where the confessions were taken.  Huta was privatized some years ago, and the new mill sits nearby, emitting unearthly groans and bangs.  We were able to get inside the doors of the old mill and shoot.  It's about the size of a football field inside.  A very large football field.  

Outside the old mill.

While at Huta we sat down with Karol Szadurski and Jacek Lipinski, two retired mill workers, Solidarity members, and close friends of Father Jerzy's.  These men protected their friend when it became clear that the Communist government saw him as a threat.  We've also interviewed two other people who knew Father Jerzy very well.  One had a very chilling story to tell about the secret police's attempts to track him around the country.  I'll save that one for the documentary.  
Tomorrow we head to Czestachowa and on to Krakow for more interviews.  Thanks for reading and wish us luck!

Feb 29 10:00 PM

What a day, but first let's back up. We were delayed getting into Frankfurt, which delayed our bags getting to Warsaw. Everything arrived eventually. Caitlyn is very thankful she has more than one change of clothes for the next two and a half weeks, and Tony is thankful he can light the interviews.
It was snowing when we arrived, but we knew it wouldn't be there the next day so we rushed from the airport to Kostka church. It was my first time to Kostka. I'd seen pictures of the grave in my research, but standing before it was something else entirely. You can't help but be struck by the beautiful simplicity of it.
Today we packed all of the gear into the van and headed to Warsaw University. We interviewed some students and then went to the office of Krzysztof Meissner. He is a theoretical physicist that teaches in Warsaw. He was at Victory Square when Pope John Paul II visited in 1979 and also went to see Popieluszko at Kostka when he was drawing tens of thousands to hear him speak. He gave us a wonderful perspective on Poland during those historic days. More than a few times we looked at each other astounded by his insight and eloquence. Great interview.
Then we headed back to Kostka to shoot some footage inside the church. This was the first time I had been inside. No pictures could have prepared me for it. Beautiful. The wooden pews worn smooth by decades of the faithful. The alcoves covered in commemorative plaques, statues, and paintings. One alcove was centered with a replica of the Black Madonna, and the late afternoon sun through the stain glass around it gave everything a golden glow. Breathtaking.

And everywhere you look you see Father Jerzy. Behind the altar there is a wall that serves as a timeline for his life. It included pictures I had never seen before. Jerzy as a young man pressed into military service by the communists. Jerzy fishing on a lake. Jerzy and his dog Tajniakiem. Every new image I see opens his life up even more.
All in all a very good day. We couldn't have asked for a better first day.

Feb 27

November 13, 1984
Lech Walesa addressing the hundreds of thousands that
came to mourn Father Jerzy.  He said, "Father Popieluszko
died so that Solidarity may live."

February 27, 10:00 AM
I am sitting in Paul's office at Digital Video Arts waiting for Caitlyn to pick me up.  Our flight for Dulles Airport in Virginia leaves at 2:48 PM.  At some time tomorrow afternoon we'll be landing in Warsaw, Poland.  Just over a month ago I was fresh out of college and working three jobs to get by.  Tomorrow I'll be in Poland.  My friends say I'm lucky.  I think I'm blessed.
When people ask me what I'm working on I have an internal debate with myself.  Do I tell them the long story or the short story?  I find myself starting with the short story, but I can't help telling the long one.  It begins with, "the Poles have been treated like dirt by Europe for centuries," and it ends with, "and now he's this close to becoming a saint."  I love telling this story.  It's a story that needs to be told because people need to know his name.  He was a hero for human rights, a holy man, a common man, and a martyr.  
Now I get to see where he lived, where he walked, and where he preached.  I'll stand in the square that 35,000 people flocked to 28 years ago to hear him speak.  I'll get to talk with his friends, the ones that miss him the most, and shake their hands.  I'll be able to connect in so many ways to the man I've only known through words and pictures.  As I said before, I feel blessed.  
I'll try to keep this blog up each day on the trip to keep you up to date on where we are and what we've done.  I hope to help connect you to this story and maybe it will touch you the way it  touched me.  We will learn a lot on this trip.  We'll have some setbacks, as with any venture, but we'll have more than our share of success too, and maybe, if we're lucky, a little fun.
Thanks for reading.
-Mike Masson