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Emails

Congratulations on a very successful film.  It absorbed me like a thriller.  What an interesting way to present history and how fascinating those uncles. 

What an incredible relatives you have.  I really like how you tell stories.

Of course Aggio, who comes across quite sympathetically, had the advantage of telling his story in hindsight.  I can accept some of his arguments about the imposition of martial war, but I think the predominant motivation was self preservation and the maintenance power.  In my books, Jaruzelski is a traitor and is definitely not on the side of the angels in anything he did.  He was a fully committed card carrying Soviet soldier. 

I was particularly haunted by the figure of Magda, whose personality you evoked powerfully, with great economy.

I suppose however, it is easy for us to criticize from our ivory towers the acts of those who stayed in Poland and collaborated in some way with the regime.  We weren’t there; we weren’t put to the test...  

This film does a lot for other Polish families.  It is also an interesting historical record showing the events and the controversial dilemmas they went through which are not always understood by all, especially here in the West. 

Congratulations on a really interesting film – the story which could serve as an example for all the people in the two opposing “camps” that are offended with each other in today’s modern Polish political arena.

Perhaps today's Polish culture has indeed permanently absorbed Sowiet-communist Party elements which were accepted by the Round Table agreement?...if the descendants of the Morawskis and Horodyńskis... accept this, then I get off here. I do not want to be part of that new Polish-Soviet culture.

Such a clever idea to look at the tragic and complicated and stoic history of Poland through individual family members.  The tragedy and the strength and courage of so many people living through those periods came through, the incredible resilience and risks people took for others and the acknowledgment that there were many different responses to those difficult situations and many influences on people's behaviour.  I thought acknowledging how un-black and white everyone's reactions are was really important and illuminating.

You made a very good film. When a company launches a very good new car, they don't present it in a little courtyard in a sidestreet, they launch it at International Motor Shows in Frankfurt, Geneva, Paris or New York! Yes Sir!

How impressed we were by your fascinating, subtle, multi-faceted film. It is a valuable contribution to history, from the most original of perspectives, and it bravely confronts issues that are complex, difficult, almost unbearably painful.

We also thought that on a technical level it was beautifully presented and edited - for example in the way you interwove different accounts and perspectives of the same events.

What a huge success the film premiere of Uncles and others was on Sunday, congratulations, I found it fascinating. Balanced in so many ways, which is what gave it its strength I think. I am so pleased that you made this wonderful record.

It was extremely interesting, loved the maps and I thought the interviews were very well balanced; I would love to see it again.

I am sure you will easily weather any storms of criticism in Poland and I send you my best wishes for that.

I really applaud it all round and do hope that it will have sufficient momentum to lead you to possibly get into making an English-speaking version. In retrospect I wonder if there would have been any interest from non-Polish media? This might have given some impetus to an English-language version, possibly raising interest in British and US audiences.

An extraordinary summary of 50+ years in Poland's history, through an excellent cast of "actors" namely your family and a few supporting roles. What diction, insight, humour and bearing...as they speak about such dramatic events. The booklet gives excellent background and is most professionally bilingual...so useful for the younger generation...a most professional and historically significant piece of cinematography.

Well Done Jan, indeed! Impressive achievement all round.

For me, Jaruzelski is a traitor!

Thank you for the wonderful film. We much enjoyed it - brilliantly made!

It deserves a wide audience.  Many congratulations!

A fascinating documentary.

Fabulous!