An ambitious odyssey that tells the story of a closeted trans woman’s life in small-town Poland and against the tumultuous backdrop of a crumbling Soviet Bloc
BY ELLA GAUCI, MAGE PROVIDED BY BFI FLARE
Could you tell us a bit about what inspired you to make this film?
What inspired us was the history of real trans men and women, whose situation in the last 50 years of Polish history was tragic, as well as before then. They had to remain completely anonymous in a communist country, without access to any information or science regarding transgenderism. Then they pretty much were forgotten for another 25 years during the country’s transformation into the capitalist system, where the topic of transgenderism was pushed to the back of the queue of important issues. Michal and I met with many trans people who told us their stories and that’s how we came to write the script.
What is the key message you hope LGBTQIA audiences take from your film?
We hope for this film to be a contribution to the discourse toward amending Polish laws in regard to trans lives. There is currently no law supporting gay marriage in Poland, and no statutes supporting the rights of transgender people. We hope this film can have a real impact towards amendments to the law for the LGBTQIA people in Poland. At the same time, we wanted to show to the world the Polish landscape surrounding this issue.
What are the main themes that your film explores?
The transformation of the body and soul, the transformation of a country and its society. It is also an intimate portrait of a family, where the wife of the hero, Iza, plays a key role in how she experiences Aniela’s transition. I think that this perspective is often overlooked.
What is your favourite line or scene from your film?
I love many scenes from the film, it’s hard to pick one. But I really enjoy the scene from the first part of the film where Aniela, still before her transition, attends various events related to the Solidarność movement during the beginning of the fall of communism. When her whole world begins to change around her and she cannot truly take part in it until she herself embraces her own truth and changes.
How did you get into filmmaking and what has been your biggest challenge in the industry?
I studied at the prestigious Lodz Film School, and graduated in the 90s, when it was very difficult to debut with a feature film, especially for women directors. There were no institutions such as PISF, which today supports young filmmakers. However, during school, I managed to make several short films which premiered or earned awards at prestigious film festivals, such as Cannes. Therefore it was much easier for me to make my first feature film. My debut opened the way for me into the international film world, outside the Polish audiences.
Why is LGBTQIA representation in film so important in 2024?
Institutions such as BFI and BFI Flare are very significant, renowned and prestigious, with history and tradition and their work is crucial in elevating LGBTQIA themes into the central arts discourse. We shouldn’t score and separate the two categories, it should be the norm, part of the main discourse of art and culture.
This year’s BFI Flare is split into the themes of Hearts, Bodies, and Minds. Do you have an LGBTQIA film which affected your heart, body, or mind?
Yes, the film that left the biggest impression on me recently was All Of Us Strangers. I don’t think I’m original in my opinion since I know many people who were moved by the picture, however, I do also know of people who misguidedly received the story, because of their homophobic attitudes towards the characters.
It’s hard to believe this in the year 2024, but yes, I know of such reactions to this film, which still shows, going back to the previous questions, how important it is to keep working to change the attitudes and awareness around the topic. We do live in a bubble convinced that homophobic attitudes are long gone, but it turns out they are ingrained very deep into our thinking.
What do you hope to see in the future of LGBTQIA filmmaking?
I’m very curious to see Love Lies Bleeding, which is also part of this year’s festival. I hope to see more titles which examine the subject in bold and fiery ways so that it reaches wider audiences. I also crave films which portray LGBTQIA characters as not only the victims of a homophobic world but instead explores the complexities of their characters and relationships.
WOMAN OF… screens at BFI Flare at BFI Southbank on 20, 23, and 24 March and as part of the Kinoteka Polish Film Festival at ICA on 23 March.
DIVA magazine celebrates 30 years in print in 2024. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.
