Director of the Parliament's 2014 Lux Prize winner 'Ida', Paweł Pawlikowski, speaks of the importance of the award and EU funding for the future of European cinema.

'Ida' adds Parliament's Lux Prize to trophy list

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/11919033/n003-0331-en.srt

After coming away  with the European film award in Riga,

the Polish film has now won  the European Parliament's Lux Prize.

Selected by a jury of MEPs,  the film's director, Paweł Pawlikowski,

received his award  from President Martin Schulz.

The prize awards films  which go to the heart of European values.

But what were the motivations  behind Ida?

Mr Pawlikowski took time  to answer EuroparlTV's questions.

Paweł Pawlikowski, first of all  congratulations on this prize.

What is your first feeling  after receiving the prize just now?

It's great satisfaction  and exhaustion.

Looking at the film and the way you made it,

what was the biggest challenge  during shooting in getting this film done?

Oh, everything was a challenge.  We didn't have enough money,

the DOP dropped out on the first day  of filming, everything happened.

There were so many disasters  that my editor said:

with so many disasters,  it could turn out to be an interesting film.

I tell you, it is an interesting film  and it's not the first prize you've received.

Why do you think this film  is such a success?

Did you expect the success it's enjoyed?

I expected some success because I liked it  and I did it exactly the way I wanted it.

But the fact that it actually went out  worldwide and was watched by millions,

That's never happened to me before  and I didn't set out to do that.

So, there's no need to apologise,  but it's a complete surprise.

It is let's say, can we call it  a dark story in some way?

Is this part of Polish history,  talking about the holocaust?

Is this part of the Polish society  not having done the work?

No, it's a film like that, it's not a film  to settle accounts at all.

It's not a film about the holocaust.  It's about many things.

It's a lot of things  and can't be translated into one subject.

There have been films in Poland  made on the subject of the holocaust,

settling of accounts and critical  of Polish attitudes, they have been made.

I am not that kind of film-maker.  I tried to make a film

that's about universal issues:  guilt, weakness but also forgiveness,

paradoxes of the human soul  and of historical situations.

But isn't it in a way  the symbol of European cinema

to explore specific things in a,  I keep the word, 'dark' way?

What is specific about it  is making a film in a very free

and unselfconscious way  that isn't about an issue,

that isn't about one specific thing,  that has a certain poetry about it,

openness, that finds the form  that fits the content and vice-versa.

And a film which isn't made to make money  either which is very difficult these days.

But I think that's what Europe  should stand for and defend.

Even if you say it's not about  the holocaust history,

is there a question of religions  too in it, about the Jewish religion?

Why the Jewish religion?  It's about faith, yes, faith in general,

but also faith in Marxism,  the need for faith.

Of course we all have the need to believe.

Did you do this film for a Polish Europe

or did you think of a European Europe,  or just a film as it is?

A film as it is.  I just made it for some kind of ideal viewer,

Even in America there are viewers  for this kind of film.

Of course, it's a Polish film,  I wanted this

I wanted Polish cinema to be proud of it  because there is a risk-taking involved.

And just the sheer arrogance  of making a film like this

reminds me of Polish art way back  in the 50s and early 60s

when it was adventurous, unselfconscious

and didn't try to ape the West,  and I hope Ida is part of that tradition.

When you look at the European economy,  I don't know if you follow it,

film-making budgets  being possibly cut by governments,

How do you react to this,  with such a film?

What can I say? I hope there is  enough money to keep making art.

Mind you, to make a good film  it doesn't cost that much

but still, there has to be  public money, public support

and an awareness that cinema and art  in general, but cinema, is an art form

and that it should be protected from  market pressures and political pressures.

and that's why today's prize  is really meaningful

because it shows that the European Union,  the European Parliament,

protects difficult films,  or films which are not obvious.

And I think this is a really good sign and I'm  really happy to have received this prize.

Paweł Pawlikowski, thanks for the interview.  -Thank you.

'Ida' adds Parliament's Lux Prize to trophy list

Info

Description