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The Universal Idea
- I thinks a script is something universal, that doesn’t depend on the country where its shot.
The script must have a construction, a specific dramatic art, whatever the subject is, whatever
the characters involved in the conflict, are on whatever it concerns a Polish or a French person,
is really not important.
- What I look for in a story are similarities. People are of course divided by politics, religion, race
and passions, but they also have a lot in common.
- Whether monarchists, republicans or communists, they still feel love, pain and hate, jealousy,
they fear death and feel in general the same way. In other words, a religious person would suf-
fer from toothache as an atheist would. And I always try to describe the toothache. If I succeed,
I believe that everybody will be able to understand me, because everyone knows exactly what
it means to have a toothache. The country where it happens is not important.
The Writing
- With Krzysztof Piesiewicz we always try to rapidly write an entire story as a springboard.
We don’t try to go into detail, but to understand the construction and above all, to understand the
meaning of what we really want to talk about. That’s the way we have worked on this script,
which was particular difficult, because it talks about things we can't point out, and if we point
them out, they seem banal and stupid. This story talks about sensitivity, forebodings, about a
fragile sphere in men and women's lives. If there is no atmosphere in a film, the tension resulting
from the emotions and the forebodings of the main characters then, there is no film, and we
know this from the beginning. Therefore, a certain tone and specific atmosphere are important in
the film, as is the cast.
Irène Jacob
- I told Irène at the beginning of the shooting 'If you want to play this role, you have to be cour-
ageous, honest, you’ll have to give a lot of yourself: people won't know you’re talking about
yourself. They’ll will think its about the heroine: Veronique. But if you want this to woman to be
interesting, original, moving and strong, you have to give her a lot of what you already have.'
She understood quickly. During this shooting I was always surprised to see how she was able
to 'give' her characters. It is not a question of direction. It’s a question of trust. It’s the most im-
portant thing in working with an actor. One must create the conviction that we work together,
that we are heading towards the same goal. I don’t speak at any length with the actors, I don’t
analyse their characters for hours. I know the actor will find his way by himself, I simply tell them
a few basic sentences. If we understand each other then during the shooting I’ll get what I’m ex-
pecting, or, in the case of Irène, I’ll get more because simply, she gives more.'
The Crew
- I think each person, and it may be the cameraman, the grip or the electrician, has something in-
side themselves. The problem is how to make them open up to enable them to give me something.
No matter what it is, it could be a little something that doesn’t seem important to me at the moment
but that will be later on. That is why I always listen, watch and wait.
The film
- If I knew it all and if I said: ' I know it has to be this or that way, you have to stand there and
deliver your lines in this tone and not another', then all this would become routine and without in-
terest. Luckily, not only do I not know everything, but to tell the truth I don’t know anything.
- It's not my film, it’s the one we made together, I directed it, but everything that happens on the
set, in front of the camera, before and after comes from everyone.
Statements taken by Elizabeth Simches and Ruben Korenfeld from
the film, ‘Krzysztof Kieslowski filming The Double Life Of Veronique’
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