SHOOTING

“Film stock wasn’t automatically given to students. It was only granted for specific projects that were part of the curriculum. In addition, each film project had to be meticulously explained, and successfully pitched to those in charge in order to obtain permission to shoot. It should be added that each student was, in a way, backed by a director who advised and supported them before this committee. No budget was allocated. You presented a screenplay, the production director drew up the budget and the estimate for you. He gave you whatever you needed, but no money. It was up to you, of course, not to ask for the moon, the impossible. There were limits not to be exceeded, naturally. Filming at Łódź was only with 35 mm film. We didn’t use 16 mm. […]

The school was a real research terrain. We had total freedom. They never tried to impose a style or any kind of academism. […] The students weren’t considered to be apprentices who had everything to learn from the institution, but rather budding artists. […]