Legendary Roma gypsy poet set for silver screen
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
20.06.2012 16:38
Filming is under way on a biopic of Papusza, the legendary post-war gypsy poet who was rejected by the Roma community after being lauded by Poland's literary elite.
Papusza
Veteran film-maker Krzysztof Krauze, who describes the project as “an epic story,” has cast amateur Roma actors for the film.
“They are fantastic actors,” he told Polish Radio.
“They are very friendly, full of life and open-minded,” he enthused.
“We tried to treat the gypsies as a nation in this film, and not as just a source of colourful folklore,” he added.
The drama will move between the poet's birth in 1910 to her husband's death in 1970.
“We will show pogroms, war, forced settlements, and harassments by the police,” Krauze revealed.
“Such a tale about the gypsies has never been told before,” he said.
Papusza (Bronislawa Wajs-Papusza) was discovered by writer Jerzy Ficowski, who spent time living among the Roma following World War II.
As a veteran of the official WWII Polish underground army, Ficowski was at risk of arrest by the communist authorities, and between 1948 and 1950 he travelled with the Roma.
Ficowski is being played by Polish actor Antoni Pawlicki in the film, while celebrated poet Julian Tuwim, who helped promote Papusza, is being acted by Andrzej Walden. (nh/pg)