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Lotna: A bad beginning

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Lotna: A meeting with the Corps of Internal Security
Andrzej Wajda Film-maker
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However, it was hard for us to rely on any group of riders. I remember that, because we had to use the army, it suddenly turned out that there was still in existence one last cavalry troop in Poland, but the role it played was dishonourable. Namely, it was a squadron of the KBW or in other words, the Corps of Internal Security which was used to disperse crowds. The squadron was based in Białystok. They came on their horses to take part - we were filming outside Warsaw - to take part in our film, and once the fiming was finished, the troop was disbanded. So I can say that the last troop of Polish cavalry took part in the film Lotna after which it ceased to exist, even in the dishonourable role of a squadron of the Corps of Internal Security. These soldiers were totally innocent, they had ridden down and tried to carry out our instructions in the film, which they found easier to do because they and their horses were used to each other, so the context was real for them as opposed to the riders with whom we had problems.

Natomiast trudno było oprzeć się na jakiejś grupie jeźdźców. I pamiętam, że ponieważ musieliśmy się, że tak powiem skorzystać z armii, nagle się okazało, że istnieje w Polsce jeszcze ostatni oddział jazdy, no ale wypełniający dość haniebną rolę. Mianowicie był to szwadron KBW czyli Korpusu Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego służacy po prostu do rozganiania tłumów. Ten szwadron służył w Białymstoku. Przyjechali na koniach, przyjechali żeby brać udział pod Warszawą, tu robiliśmy zdjęcia, żeby brać udział w naszym filmie i po zakończeniu filmu ten oddział się rozformował. Tak że mogę powiedzieć, że... że tak powiem ostatni oddział polskiej kawalerii wziął udział w filmie Lotna i przestał istnieć w ogóle nawet w tej haniebnej roli, że tak powiem, szwadronu Korpusu Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego. Ci żołnierze zresztą byli Bogu ducha winni, po prostu przyjechali, starali się, że tak powiem, wykonać nasze... nasze zadania w tym filmie. I co przychodziło im o tyle łatwo, że byli zżyci z tymi końmi, więc to tło było żywe w stosunku do tych jeźdźców, na których musieliśmy bardzo, że tak powiem... z którymi mieliśmy trudność.

Polish film director Andrzej Wajda (1926-2016) was a towering presence in Polish cinema for six decades. His films, showing the horror of the German occupation of Poland, won awards at Cannes and established his reputation as both story-teller and commentator on Poland's turbulent history. As well as his impressive career in TV and film, he also served on the national Senate from 1989-91.

Listeners: Jacek Petrycki

Cinematographer Jacek Petrycki was born in Poznań, Poland in 1948. He has worked extensively in Poland and throughout the world. His credits include, for Agniezka Holland, Provincial Actors (1979), Europe, Europe (1990), Shot in the Heart (2001) and Julie Walking Home (2002), for Krysztof Kieslowski numerous short films including Camera Buff (1980) and No End (1985). Other credits include Journey to the Sun (1998), directed by Jesim Ustaoglu, which won the Golden Camera 300 award at the International Film Camera Festival, Shooters (2000) and The Valley (1999), both directed by Dan Reed, Unforgiving (1993) and Betrayed (1995) by Clive Gordon both of which won the BAFTA for best factual photography. Jacek Petrycki is also a teacher and a filmmaker.

Tags: Corps of Internal Security, Białystok

Duration: 2 minutes, 1 second

Date story recorded: August 2003

Date story went live: 24 January 2008