Passion According to Agnieszka

They say films are made in the editing room, which is why the influence of the editor should never be underestimated. This is certainly true of Polish editor Agnieszka Bojanowska (1932–2019), who left her mark on more than 350 documentaries, feature films, animated works, and experimental projects. She is best remembered, however, for her close collaboration with Bogdan Dziworski, whose award-winning films she helped raise to new heights.

We see the pair in action in Bojanowska’s basement editing room, seated behind screens in the half-darkness. Her critical assessments of the material keep Dziworski constantly on his toes: she expects his work to surprise her every single day. If he fails, it’s rubbish. If he succeeds and she offers a rare compliment, he's as happy as a child.

Bojanowska is elderly and frail, and they both know this is likely to be their last project together. On her deathbed, she describes their collaboration as “a passion for watching”—a process that goes way beyond merely documenting the world.