Original subtitles

YOU AEGAN VOTING on tivo huge jmofecis:

me tan nins of Dekallog,

A MOCHA MMlAjMHALION of ihe Tan Commeanchnents,

and ie \nres Colors wilogy,

a modem initejoretadon of the symbols

Of MEATY, meedom, and egualliiy.

Are you attracted by the Challange

Ak ESO NUGE (MOJSCIS TAMESCME?

OmSTineimonversiimo yg your stlisitte interests

aVvalane tuncing?

The question or iuncling Wasxalifficrentinxeachkcase™

DEKAOG WAS ThaACe fOMOXACtIVASO OROOO}

AN 10 ‘filmes. hWVonnadktineatiicaliteleasess

The wnole operation the Polish equivalent of $100,000.

noni ANNU GEIEOMMENC/AUISUECESSS

Kt was financec! low loti the Ministry of Culture and television

ane] MACE Over whree Million collars, or 30 to 4,

SO yes, that was 2 Good return,

BUt We Waren t Expecting tine.

We tthhougint itt woulle! loe é local project, just for Polish TV,

Wwinieh we might possiloly sell] tOFAREMWAOING MCOUMIMIESS

We never tigured It woul Up evernwhere,

OUT It WAS

Or almost evernnwinere.

We click’ unett, We hacl no such plans.

aut Why SUC UGE (MO;ECIS?)

| COM KNOW that they were that huge.

Buigtinene nallemeennas to reinteroret

nese universal ane! wellkknown wore or slogans

OMmeOmmancimentss 2s in the of Dakalog.

I's a challenge to look att these things

@ lon chintearentihy tan has een clone so far,

SOMMUCENASHOSS AVN ECE In aloourt tine Ten Commandments,

NOWUSainneMniSt’anmlitenatune our Juceo-Clhristian too.

UT ii S NOt alll

There are cliftarent oliilosoplhical interorstations too.

SO mucn nas been written

inert Itt WOUEIAE itt on tne shelves in tinis room.

We thought It would! be Interesting to approach it completely clitiarentily,

SCAUSE that huge anrount Ofalitenatwne

OManemienkGoOminanadhnemnts ancl tine Bilole...

in essences looils clown

tio scholarly interorstations.

BU WS Came UO witin tne Iiceal

or tuming every Commeancme»nt

imtorancirallemec) for a human being.

Aincicankalnumaniiocing that challenge?

ls it even possilole?

Is it possilole to achhere COMMESEICOMmMan Gime mits

and trully aloicle loy tine?

IMSUCieAIComolicatedksituation

inet aloicling ly the Commancments is practically impossible?

We clicdn’t go tor relativism, becauiSebtiraliwasinntéiinesiSSuer

k was aloout our increasingly Complicatecklivessocays

our situation tocery,

Anal iit isn't just tociayy

R WAS Prosaly tne Same in days past, anc even ages ago.

Is a human being strong enough?

lr 2 person knows what they sinoulel co,

winy clo they clo something else?

tt souncs like relativism,

oun We hoped we'e] SucESee! ett avoiding ethical relativism.

/ Gan’t think the Dekaloeg mms ee ve cocumenterion GOCUMENMAULES?

lout iin Poland they were ertidckzec

ror having nothing to clo Vuhin TeEliy,

So they ra not cocumentaries ex alll, anc what's more,

many Poles tnoug|nt they were unloelievalole.

They sale events in the til could never have reallly happened.

SO ERS AS WO SiSpS:

Onemi«sSomethinopicallvaltaooeme cl iteStandocuimentanys

Two Is Greciilolligy. Coulchit{havelraoweneag

Personally || tink evan tine minor elements in every episoce

could! reallly have lhappenec,

Out many critics In Polane tak completely the opposite,

tinal Or ik Was Mace UP.

OF iif You Want to use more pejorative terms...

SES 7

lackinakereciilsiliinyz

Falogicated ancl tinereifore not erectiole.

‘iihat's clearly more pejorative,

BUM OURcanbalSonloortaigit from anotiher perspective.

Nou Coulle] Saty...

i's a cocumentanxiike recore.

Despite tine tact iNEEStOnleS¥aliehictional

Amcltivene nanactens are played! oy actors...

ane] ine tears are olycerinsincluced,

is a Sort of recorel of tine times,

@ RaCore! of the temperature of tihe times,

of how people lived! at that moment.

= In Poland in tne GOs? = Yes. And tirom that point of view,

vou coull! saty thet Darlag)

is a recore of a coriain periocl in time,

a given moment of tine in Poland.

OF course, It clealls Wit MOKELUIMIMEKSALISSUeS

raiiner than tine everyday events

hinalt PSople lhave tto cleall witin

K's the really of a panicular time, placemaniclooliticalisystenns

K's a recore Of EMMOESTOMAIS OCCA

tine or record] that [Ken Loach iSsamouswominnglanck

In a way, Daeralag ls like tet.

ts 2 recorel of human litte

in a Given time ane place.

SONG TE CRMACGAS polies

nad to Go wtih marital law,

Prom a roacker perspeciive,

we completely elimineree! politics as a theme or activity,

as something having any imporance.

We knew it was imrpoorniant,

loun Since we coullel clo DOtMin alo ouitaits

we ceciced it wasn't imporant att alll.

What is Imporant in Dekkallog?

| had the imoression ine fouolnt

2 sanes of lonely struggles Win everyday prollanmns.

YES, Of COURSE.

everyining's imporant except politics.

Fomelinesst siimoontamt. SO iis love, and tite lack of lowe.

fiitersensckounclolessmesom evervining.

Politics Is not, pecause it doesn’t play a role.

Kt only emerges inkceltalnkabsunclinc Gents

or very seconcany imporance.

let's harolly Holkties

OUR rainer the Consequences of political ineptitucle.

We tnere’s No water, or elevators cont work.

Minekesse mtialSxordlife pecomne prololematic.

li You exclude pomies as a motive ror any way of acting or thinking),

YOU BkSO @xahuncle

evaryining irom te iin that

iy ragaraed irom 2 stereotypical point of

CONSUMES ine stereotyoe of Pes

In tine @YES of Westie VIBWWAF3 OF Teaders.

When you eliminaie polltiics,

tS SIMTEOKYoe Of (PALES

Is Insianihy and absolutialy eliminated,

So theyre no longer Poles.

Winey Ive in Pokene, ney speak Polish,

anne] NAVE (PONS PASSVOME. Passpoms evan igure th Sim.

Bot han just (Poles, ney Te Also wno talon,

ane] Suiiter anc] rejoice over matters

thet are UNCATStooe

DO YOU tik (nas WiNY DBKANVOG) es so wal-recaivad In the West?

| think proloaloly so,

| loslieve Westen auciences

ar {6) UP with the Polish stereotype.

The complaining Pole, the marivr drowning in politics,

wie Pols tominentec loy tae due to his country’s poor location.

People in tine West are getting tired! of that image.

AN the same time, people in the West,

like PSOple around the wonrildl,

Glaclly WetIeh OWNERS WOES Maliehthe im oredicament

Oligeitanactens ACMIMAES IMIlAMmSItUAtOnE

hey ace Gholces ancl proolems

wiat EVERYONE iacSs, no matier where they are.

Alin Enolisn Viewer doesnt Get imoression i's Poland,

inant tne mincset is Polisi,

Or tha It WAS Tlinec in Ursynow in Warsaw =

Acwallly, it wasnt Ursymow. twas filmed in Dzika.

= || WAS SUIS It WAS. - No, it wasn’t.

kt Was Gnosen tor very cletinite photographic reasons.

Mewioe you know Ursynow.

K's very cispersed,

Very SPrEAac! OU.

K's loig), with a lot of open space.

YOu can never capwire It iimanclosedbiralmes

Well, mays, lout fit's very lnarel.

Tina's wii we niovec tio Dike.

inet was Our Iase!

Kt wasn't alll shot there, buitethakdoesimiimattenr

kt was aloout the atmosphere;

ne Daika area was lounikt more iin the style

used lnctiore the War,

Vine builcings seal of the horizon:

Ui VOU KOW te Eee,

ine bullcIings are positioned) ln such € Way

A WNGMTEVAT YOU Camera)

YOU gat 2 Glosed snot,

ywnieh GIVES the impression heaVre’S MO WAY

SOACS GIWVAYS (MOVICES 2 WAY OUR

Ine AMANCANS Shoot MMOSCHNUGE, SDACES

WmoaolinoviesioaWestems

There's always thiSESemMSCLOMmilieed om

You can always get out, because lit's so big.

SUN tihent UGE alSolimeans

VOU Gan che OF Mirst iintinalxdesent

OF imeeze To cleanin.

SUN YOU Cal Get OUIL.

A Glosedi tirame @ Sense of the inevitability of being there.

K's a sulsconscious tieeling, OME OURS?

Out fis winy we lookec! ior neightborhooes like that,

like Daika = or was it Dzielna?

Winieln was it?)

A tiriene! of mine lives there, [ can tell you exactly.

Dzikal

ik or my best Icleas OgDekalog

uO chirerant GinemaAognaynnanrs.

Becauservalllftineknilinns Wene as one production,

OMmexattemtinexotited SOMELIMESIEVE MOVE OINGE

SOMEetIMESMVEMVE ERS MOOting three clifferent tilms in one cary.

'Iinat allowee! us tio keep from Getting too bored.

Becaliserauleastiiomine:

ine actual jolo of clirecting is very boring.

Working with a new cinemetographer IinStamntWacralngeszalllatinats

ie lorings a trast new approach to the whole process.

Ane it wasn't just me.

Tine winole Mmecded something new ancl interesting

aier WOKING ON tine Project for three Months or tive montis.

NEWFACIORSROM VIOUS INzacced an interesting element,

DSCAUSS GAG EPISOCE featunectoifferenigactorsy

OU Ik WAS Also the clififerent cinematographers.

They'd change everything), from lighting to camera movements,

So evernihing else woul change too.

SOlincimensnacktomiecminie NOWAUINEY, sound.

Maye there were no shacows on the set betiore, ancl now there are.

Tha Means the Sounciman face sramneWacwallemges

And tif there's a challenge, the work gets interesting.

Nou know whet was reallly tunny?

EAcn Glhemetographer nad a very cliiierent temperament

ancl ciinterent work experiences

and in general a clinerent wey of telling a story on fil.

everyone tals a Stony their own wely.

Yet lin tine ened, tine tilms were shot in a similar wary.

They lhacl complete tireecion.

| cleln't chetane winat lens or what lighting to use.

Mitakwackaltiteimbusinesss

Koemenalll ¥XcomislOoke through the viewrinder.

BulikinowAinattars notauil Mlookdlike i the camera’s in a certain position

using, Sély, a SOsminn lens.

| migint le oir by hala centimeter.

| can clo tine same with a 35-=mm lens ancl oe wrong loy this much, not more.

| know alll tits, lout | don't look through the finder.

So they lhacl a lot of tireeciom to tell the story thelr wety.

/ read In an interVlew You Gave that while making Dekallog)...

you ane Mr. PiesiewlezZ asked yourselves

lOtStoifexiSiemtialeWestionst

a VinatliSiiraopinessr, What is love?

Winatt is tiraeclom?” = That's right.

Do you tintinkk there’s one universal morality,

or are tinere chinerant moraliiies

clepenciing on the people ancl tine times?

| belleve People Know what's good and what's evil,

itpoucallEtivatinerallity

Actually, | con't like aso wand “moval word “moral ty

as I'M SUPE you've real.

i’ | agreed! to tihatt worel,

el be setting myself up as a morallist,

Aas someone wino knows.

Bur li Someone wino doesn? reallly know,

SOMKotratnemaskqquestiomns than provicle answers.

| Know wihat questions tio asi, more or less.

SO | concem myseli with ethics rather than morality.

TO me It's loroacler!

Ane! |] avolel “nnorallizing,” ashilesxeallleor

Sy tinat || mean Preacning), lecturing, anc pointing out

WiNatrs Fight ancl wrong.

| believe everyone has¥akboaliometeminside

inert tells them tine clifierence benween trun ancl lies,

good ane] evil

ANG] PSOE TOllow that barometer iif they can.

WEWROItemmneksitUration means they can’t,

lout Given tine chance, tiney will.

DIGhOuUmfiincltivexanswensr,

They cont exist. No one’s found them, anc no one willl.

hers why tine questions are interesting.

IE UKE HO NGA more ALOU tne CONCH of Chance.

on ahah = 0g (S¥aaVOnlokomenanee

el like to focus on Darallogr Ive,

Wwinere tinls iciea Is orougint ronwarel beautiitully, in my opinion.

LOU OF ShUAUONS IN tne Til Ores the Gharacters to Goose:

Ko Go this Instead of tat

CO SOMBWUNG GSE, GO SOMBWNRE GIS.

Ine td chiver cout] nave pleked yp the young counle

or ine chunks In ie STeat

ane hi MIKE TEE an GnAMGe?

/ tai i's everyiuing.

Ks destiny, or fate if youl preter,

irs also Ghance.

Ane! to a great extent, our own free will.

The wax! Giriver Nac] A GAOIGS. Fie cleciclec! of his own free will

WO plek up tihe couple and not the drunk.

Anotner clrivar Wwoullel awe been killed, out not infin.

Ane! winetever JACSK COSs, ine It VEWACONSCIOUSIVE

Fle does winatt he wants. Why is another matter.

But wineeaver IN ClOes, ics of his own ree will.

Winy Ine Coes Itt is another meatier.

| DSlEVES tNOSSe wArSe Wings are Connecisal

Cnance, ate, ancl tira willl.

They iniiluencs our lives to chftarent cegrees, of course.

kt Cepencis on every person's lire Ane] ON Whe Moment.

SOmetiine spitesxomes SOMmetine SuileStanother

SOnnetimechissnemamneer SOMetinne Swe eRWill||™

oushing us where ft will.

We con't know winat It is, put something's pushing us.

But | cont know winiy I'in consicerec| such an expert on chances.

iOoalolVpoccause | @ ffl lov that title.

BUN take any other til = any tila you like.

Take One we lotin KmMow.

vou Ghanes ples @ loig role in every ‘film.

KS In ity iii too,

oun Iii Seen asrars peciallisionnenamnee®

though in my other tilms, ChancellShmanenmailneSSuer

Wy last question meayy be & lat (MOVOCHIIVE.

| Get the reeling you're quite inclitierent

KO Feviews oF your tilims.

= [hats Not true. = [Ss NO?

ls erttical opinion ais important to you

€s we audience's Opinion Omaspy OU SOnalksatiSfacionr,

| care very mucin aloout tine auclience’s opinion.

Or Gourse || co,

= But Go tie Chics COUN too? = Of Course.

PIrSt, WEY TS PAIR OfatherauGiencentoo:

Second, lif they re Gooe! critics,

ney also express tine opinion of part of the auclence.

NO cloulot aloourt Mu

Burt || Nave No =

YOu sail tits was a Provocative question. | don’t Why.

YOU Cen Saly you con't now why you're called

ONE OF te Greatest European film clirectors,

Winch In fact you are.

Tarts 2 Chirerant meer. Koomlduined enstanellita

oun | Guess tine people win© afout such things clo.

ht Cossn't meter tat | clon‘t!

| Just say winett | ieell. = Then you must be vary modest.

No, lin quite nomneall.

- Well, thank you vary mucin. = You've very weleone.