August 12, 2008–Five years from the start of production, “The True Story of Janosik” is finally in production, under the helm of Agnieszka Holland.
Janosik was a famous Slovak Robin Hood-type character in the Slavic tradition, who was the hero of a popular Polish TV series directed by Jerzy Passendorfer in 1974. “The movie will be different then the series. It is based on facts but at the same time it is a poetic and metaphysical story. I am fascinated with the Slovakian legends full of poetry, absurdity, and cruelty,” Agnieszka Holland said.
The work on this project began nearly five years ago, when about 40% of the scenes were shot. The script was written by a Slovak scriptwriter and director Eva Borusovicova and the initial producer was Rudolf Birman. The project collapsed in 2003, when the crew ran out of funds.
Agnieszka Holland and the second director Kasia Adamik, Holland’s daughter and storyboard author, were eager to finish the film and brought Apple Film Production on board. The Polish company bought the rights for the material from Bierman and financed the rest of the movie with Polish public broadcaster PTV and the Polish Film Institute as co-producers. The film is also supported by HBO Central Europe as well as other Polish, Czech and Hungarian producers.
Principal photography was transfered from Slovakia to Polish Zakopane and other locations in the Tatra Mountains will end on September 8. The crew will finish up with a few days on set in October. The movie’s premiere is planned for September 2009. Based Holland’s repuation and the topic’s popularity of the topic, it’s expected to appeal to viewers in Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and other countries.
