Without Anesthesia (Bez znieczulenia)

ROUGH TREATMENT

screenplay

cinematography

director

it was during the war between Honduras and El Salvador...

- I was there. - The Football War?

- Football? - Yes, that's what it was called.

I found myself completely alone because all the other correspondents had left

for El Salvador. They thought the attack would be launched from there.

It so happened that there was only one telex and the president

of Honduras happened to be standing by it, calling for assistance.

So I found myself in a hopeless situation,

as I could not force him to leave

because then Honduras would lose the war.

If I may be serious, how many times have you been threatened with execution?

Absolutely seriously.

Four times.

- And how many revolutions have you witnessed? - Many.

Twice in Cuba. The first time when

Fidel took Havana. The second was the Bay of Pigs.

Later on I was in Chile, first during the failed coup

during president Frei's administration, and then when Allende was killed.

Peru, Bolivia, I was in Venezuela with the guerrillas.

Then with the Tupamaros in Uruguay. I witnessed the revolt of

the Brazilian peasants in Nordeste.

And Africa, there were so many coups there, at least a dozen.

What other threats, besides death,

must a journalist like you face?

I was thrown out of various countries repeatedly

because the authorities did not like my writing.

So what is your greatest fear?

Defeat - I have lived through several failures.

Fortunately, I've never experienced a true defeat.

Which I understand as a kind of, well,

physical weakness, stillness, being forced to give up my profession,

the life that I lead, a general humiliation,

indignity, powerlessness.

Is there a reason why you write about

Third World countries and not your native country?

- That's a very good question. - Well, I think so.

Next one, please.

Well but aren't all these foreign travels something of

tourism, combined with extra money and greater prestige?

Well, money.

A Chilean friend of mine told me once

that he was a socialist all his life, actually he never made it,

except for gaining some underappreciated things.

He had a wife who was his best friend

and children who were his greatest joy.

- And what happened to him? - He's dead.

But what does it have in common with my question?

Well, I also have a wife and children, and the man was my friend.

And why isn't she, I mean your wife, here?

I'll switch it off.

- Don't, Ewunia. - Let me quote

my favorite writer, Michał Bałucki:

A wife is not a zoo to be shown around.

I don't want you to watch it.

Don't be silly, I don't mind, really.

- I was born - But that's not what I mean.

In a small town in the province of Lublin, so I had friends with whom

- I went to school and - So don't look.

We were real friends. It all fell apart later on.

Today one of them is a Professor at the institute of technology, one is a priest,

- Do you love me? - One committed suicide.

- Do you? - A few have farms over there.

I have to go now.

Now?

Yes, I have to call in on my mom. I want to pick Gabcia up.

- Are you taking Gabcia? - Yes, it'll be easier this way.

I don't think he'll have the courage.

Well, so what is the conclusion of these comparisons?

- You're right. - I guess it is simply about some

point of reference.

- Tomorrow, my dear. - There is no other truth about a time

than the truth reflected in human biography.

What truth or what truths were reflected in your biography?

To present a biography is to answer simple questions:

who one is, who one wants to be, who one can be.

In such a case, who would you like to be?

- Who I am. - And who could you be?

- Nobody else. - Well, but it means that

your biography is a complete success.

Well, it seems so.

You have told us of your ties

with your friends from the editorial board. We'd like to show you

our TV version of the ties.

Ladies and gentlemen, please rise.

As you can see, the ties are very real,

they also offer a kind of safety measure, naturally, like in mountaineering.

- Will they be able to keep upright? - I doubt it.

What you say, what you write...

Listen, did they check the formula of this program with you?

They did.

You must remember it. You liked the idea very much.

Well.

I just saw it somewhat differently.

Well, the screenplay was rather specific.

If one lacks

this instinct, or can't at least develop it,

one doesn't stand any chance of doing what I do,

I mean, writing reportage.

- Because when this instinct burns out... - And who decided to

show this Michałowski first?

He's a great journalist, a very popular person.

Award of the Year. Amazing book.

It's Friday, before the weekend. People expect something else.

There will be complaints, and rightly so.

- That's not what we talked about. - When you read newspapers,

watch TV, you notice that all the news about the world is

flattened, made up, undefined.

To put it in a word, it's deceitful, actually.

A number of events are hushed up.

And silence is

- Oh, daddy! - A most dangerous thing.

- Well, it's daddy. - Historians deal in, let's say,

coups, revolutions, rebellions.

But when a mother

hears silence in her baby's room,

driven by some instinct,

she runs there, with a premonition that something terrible must have happened.

I think that silence plays the same role in history.

It would be most interesting to

enquire into the following issue: to what extent the modern

- media are in the service of - What happened?

- Real information, - Mummy!

- And to what extent in the service of silence. - What happened?

- I'm taking Gabcia to the airport. - Well, I have to get her dressed.

No, leave her, Józefa will dress her, leave her, mom.

I use the word "truth" with caution and respect.

I decide in my conscience what I am to write about,

and what I don't want to or can't write about.

- You have to experience it - Calm down, honey, calm down,

- yourself in order to be able to decide... - don't be so nervous.

I'll bring her back in an hour. Is it OK, mom?

- OK. - I'm simply there,

- Just calm down. - So I do understand

- Gabcia, let's go. - Many things and know them better

than those who never go there.

Polish Airlines LOT flight number 246

from Rome is arriving shortly.

Buńka.

Dear, dear Buńka.

- Daddy, you're on TV. - What do you mean? That's impossible!

How tall you've grown.

Good afternoon.

- How are things? - What have you brought me?

Oh, it's a surprise.

- Show me. - Not now, at home, at home, at home.

Let's go.

Has Ola called?

Daddy, you're on TV.

- What are they doing here? - Expanding the airport.

Great.

Ewa, what is it?

Come here for a moment.

- Jerzy, we've moved out. - Excuse me?

Me and Gabcia have moved out.

Are you mad?

Well, we won't discuss it in front of our child.

Don't look for me, my lawyer will send you the divorce papers.

Polo. Polo, Polo, come on. Drink, doggie, drink.

Mom, why are you crying?

You have a wet nose.

Be quiet!

I'm sorry, my dear. I'm sorry, honey.

It's all right now.

Family - we've asked about it already, only to be rebuffed.

You're always away, always on the move.

You're constantly away, constantly absent.

- How do they react to it? - I'm not away, I travel.

- Does that change anything? - I leave and I come back.

And they wait because they know I'll be back.

Do you have a spare moment, please, forgive me if it sounds childish,

for dreams?

- Sometimes on the plane. - What about?

About my children not being ashamed of

- what I do - Excuse me?

- At the moment, what I write. - Mom? It's Jurek.

Are you pleased with yourself?

I'd like to ask if Ewa is there?

- No, she's not. - Did she say when she was coming back?

- Don't you know where... - No, she didn't say anything.

Before we say goodbye, although you defended yourself with a quote

from Michał Bałucki, and forbade us to touch upon the subject,

our director still prepared a movie for you,

I hope it'll be a nice surprise. Please, turn around once more.

May I call later?

It's pointless to call, even if she's here

she won't talk to you. Stenia, please, change the water.

- Why? - Because it's you who's calling.

Stenia, what is it with you today?!

Please, concentrate and prepare for the extraction.

I am extracting the right upper second premolar.

- I see. - No, you don't.

- You've horribly neglected your teeth. - How long has this been going on?

Not even a month, I guess.

I also thought it was madness, we even had a big fight.

I lashed out at her but she's crazy.

No, she's not thinking straight at the moment.