A producer, director, and cinematographer, Polish filmmaker Hanna Polak received an Academy Award and a News and Documentary Emmy nomination for the documentary short “The Children of Leningradsky.” Her other credits include the feature documentary “Something Better to Come,” “Love and Rubbish,” and “Battle of Warsaw 1920 in 3D.” Screened at festivals around the world, including Sundance, IDFA, and True/False, Polak’s films have appeared on major television networks such as HBO and Canal+.
“Angels of Sinjar” is screening at the 2022 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival, which is taking place April 28-May 8. Find more information on the fest’s website.
[Warning: this interview contains discussion of disturbing activity.]
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
HP: The film is a witness to the Yezidi Genocide. It includes testimonials of ISIS brutality and systematic ethnic and religious cleansing — crimes committed against Yezidis because they are a religious minority. This genocide continues. Sinjar is still a place where the Yezidis have their homes destroyed. Sinjar, Northern Iraq remains unstable and dangerous.
The majority of the 350,000 Yezidis who survived the ISIS massacres now live as IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons), in tents in overcrowded camps on the territory of Kurdistan. There is no work, no schools, or a future for them. ISIS tortured prisoners who are now free after years of captivity by ISIS do not receive any psychological support. They are not granted asylum in countries where they can rebuild their lives and experience safety.
Traumatized, Yezidis feel betrayed by those who were tasked with protecting them from the horrendous suffering they’ve had to face as an entire nation and society. Thousands of women and children are still, to this day, in captivity — and thousands remain missing. Year after year, no help is forthcoming — from anywhere on Earth.
The film is specifically a tribute the greatness of some Yezidi persons who feature prominently on the film: Hanifa and Saeed, as well as other amazing Yezidis. This film is a tribute of the human spirit, proving that the best in humanity always wins. We see beautiful human beings who are driven by love, kindness and friendship, who are brave enough to help others, and who smile and laugh despite the constant danger and despair. “Angels of Sinjar” reflects on the light of human nature, which is shining especially brightly against the heart of darkness in Northern Iraq at this particular moment in time.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
HP: The first story I heard about the Yezidi genocide was one that concerned children. An ISIS militant tortured and killed a one-year-old baby in front of her mother’s eyes, whom he kept captive. Another story concerns the Yezidi kids who were brainwashed into becoming ISIS fighters, suicide bombers, and soldiers. Two brothers aged 10 and 12 went on a suicide mission after the training. These stories were so horrifying that they left me speechless, sleepingless, and physically ill. I knew there had to be a complete account of this twenty first-century genocide. And the locations of the Yezidi genocide massacres must be documented for history and posterity. The Yezidi people were what attracted me to the subject of my film: they were peace-loving, friendly and beautiful as a nation. They also became the tragic victims in this carnage.
W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?
HP: I hope viewers think about why neighbors kill neighbors and why we create wars. Is it possible to be so divided and polarized instead of showing kindness, patience and respect to each other? That is where I believe wars begin.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
HP: This film was not easy. Filming in the Yezidi’s rare language was a challenge. It took a lot luck and many permits to access remote and dangerous areas. The editing room was difficult because I had filmed many survivors to capture as much evidence about the genocide as possible.
Another challenge was maintaining my sanity while being immersed in the fumes and heartbreaking testimonies. But perhaps the biggest challenge was experiencing the despair and hopelessness of the film’s protagonists at the time.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Please share your insights on how you got the film made.
HP: The film was produced and distributed by my company Hanna Polak Films LLC. Saxonia Entertainment and HBO Max were also involved. ZDF/ARTE, Czech TV and Polish Film Institute were also involved. There were also small grants and awards.
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
HP: I love art. I started acting when I was 14. In 1999, however, I met homeless people on the streets and at Moscow’s railway stations. There were hundreds of thousands of them, and they were all dying. I tried to help them with a group, but I also thought about using the camera to tell their stories. To make this happen, I went to Moscow’s film school to learn cinematography from the greats. Vadim Yusov, the DoP of some of Andrei Tarkovsky’s masterpieces of cinema became my teacher. These homeless children are my inspiration to use the camera to tell stories and save the world.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
HP: Bruce Davidson, Magnum photographer, advised me: “Stay, stay longer.” By that he meant that just when you think you are done filming and are ready to turn off the camera and leave, you should be patient. He knew that if you “stayed long enough” or even longer, something magical might happen in front of the camera.
Ricky Leacock, a pioneer of documentary cinema, was my friend and mentor. He suggested that I learn how to put down a camera and, no matter what, just be there with my protagonist as friend. To not ruin the relationship with constant filming. He noticed how the camera was ruining his friendship with Leonard Bernstein after he filmed a movie about him. Despite temptations, the camera would be put down for days so that he could just be there, listen, and spend time with the man who was also the subject.
Stan Neumann, a wonderful editor and director, taught me to think about what the particular edited scene “is really about.”
I don’t know if I ever received any bad advice. Even if it wasn’t the best advice, I could still learn from it and be inspired to find a better solution.
W&H: What advice do you have for other women directors?
HP: When you are faced with something too big, too demanding, remember, “How do you eat an elephant?”
The answer: “A little at a time – bit by bit.”
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
HP: I especially love the movies by the Czech director Helena Trestíková, which are filmed over a long period of time! Amongst those films are “Katka” and “René – The Prisoner of Freedom.” Her time-lapse documentaries spanning many years are a unique mirror of life.
W&H: How are you adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic? Is creativity something you do?
HP: This should be an end.
W&H: The film industry has a long history of underrepresenting people of color onscreen and behind the scenes, and reinforcing—and creating—negative stereotypes. What are your suggestions for making Hollywood and/or the doc industry more inclusive?
HP: People of color have unique stories and histories. We need to hear these stories and see them onscreen. We need more universal stories that bring us closer together.
Source: Women And Hollywood