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The film about Pilate is a film about our moral responsibility Andrzej Wajda - Film-makerIn short, we filmed scenes that in my opinion had expression, had strength because they showed a world that was flowing past a world-shaking event which nevertheless no one notices. That's how it was then, too. Christ was hanging on the cross. Where was this cross? It was at the meeting of roads, somewhere on the way to Jerusalem so that everyone would have to pass by it. That was the reason for crucifixion, so that His suffering could be prolonged and so could the spectacle. It was a spectacle for those who were passing by. It was intended as a terrifying spectacle aimed at all those who would dare to raise their hand against the authorities. So where could this be done? I recalled the rubbish dump from Ashes and Diamonds but I have to say that this time it was a different rubbish dump. It didn't consist of all kinds of rubbish but only of plastic. These heaps of plastic lay there loosely covered with soil. It turned out that we couldn't bury the foot of the cross there because everything was moving, it consisted of these wrappings, millions of which had been deposited there, and that also made a huge impression. But something more important happened. Namely, I noticed the following: since the rubbish dump was right next to a motorway, the traffic that used it - the coaches, the cars, people who travelled along this motorway - could see that something terrible was happening, that a man was being hung up, transfixed by nails. It was hard to tell what it was, but whatever it was, it was a crime. Yet not a single car stopped because there were road signs forbidding the stopping of vehicles. You have to keep going on the motorway. Therefore, there was this situation in which everyone felt they were absolved because they weren't supposed to stop in case they caused an accident. But maybe this man who was being murdered needed help. How were they to know that a film was being made? Perhaps these really were bandits. But no, no one here had any scruples. I have to say that all the vehicles kept on going. People were interested, tourist groups peered at what was going on but obviously no one expected that it could be the thing that had dawned on my imagination, that this is how our world is constructed. We are increasingly relieved of any moral responsiblity, responsibility for what's happening by the social structures that we've created and we can absolve ourselves, so to speak, of many, many issues. Another thing that moved us greatly was that here we all were, we Slavs because the director of photography was a Czech or in fact a Slovak, Igor Luter, who'd lived in Germany for years and who helped me greatly with his imagination, his strength and above all with his knowledge of the terrain. He moved about easily having already made many films for TV in Germany and he finally had the chance to do something unexpected and surprising. So as Slavs, we suddenly felt that we were in an astonishing situation there in Nuremberg where all the laws that were meant to destroy us and wipe us from the face of the earth had been born. And suddenly here we are making a film. On the ruins of the Third Reich. I have to say that this was a very powerful experience. |
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