This wasn't all that straightforward because, in spite of the thaw,
when I think about it today,
I see that the cinema bosses weren't keen on making films about the Warsaw Uprising.
I think the reason behind this
was an ideological interpretation.
If we were making a film showing that
the Warsaw Uprising was initiated even though it flew in the face of common sense,
it would mean that this was the point of view of the communists.
They always said that the Uprising was unnecessary,
that it was madness on the part of the London authorities, and who could have given such an order.
Therefore, why bother with such a topic when every Pole knew that the Uprising had been magnificent?
But at the same time, there was the temptation to say that the Uprising had actually ended in the sewers.
However you looked at it, this had been written by a man who had experienced this himself.
An image of this kind on the screen had its own expression.
And there was one other obstacle.
Namely, what was going on - on the one hand, the Uprising is taking place and on the other, you've got units of the Soviet army
on the opposite bank of the Vistula not coming to the aid of the partisans? Stawiński wrote nothing about this.
He did not respond to the information that some Polish units had tried to reach the other bank to help the partisans.
He passed over that completely. Therefore, that decision wasn't easy. Konwicki played a very significant role here.
I have to say that when I read the report
of the screenplay commission during which he'd spoke up,
it's beautiful and it always moves me.
I am immensely grateful to him for his attitude
because it is thanks to him that the greater part of this screenplay was pushed through,
and thanks also to the prevailing political situation which made it possible to even approach this subject.
So suddenly I was in possession
of an amazing story which was just right for filming.
Of course, I was warned that people aren't keen to watch a film on a black background which is true.
But I wasn't thinking, why should it be black? It's true that a lot of the action takes place in the sewers,
but right from the start I knew that we wouldn't be going down into any sewers
but that we'd be building sets to look like sewers and that everything would be done in the studio.
The film company in Łódź refused to help
because they didn't want us to build the sets of the sewers in the film hall
since they were afraid we'd ruin the floor.
After all, it was the only film hall in Poland, so if it had got flooded,
film production would have had to be halted and there were other films waiting to be made.
So they let us build the sets outside thanks to which we were able to build vast sewers
with a whole network that was incomparably bigger
than anything we could have built in the studio.
This benefitted the film
because a significant part of this film takes place inside the sewers
which we were able to show in a variety of shots.
What else was important?
I was keen for Zbigniew Cybulski to play the lead role.
Following 'A Generation' I was very much in favour of this.
But that summer he was already working on another film so he couldn't be in this one and we had to start shooting.
I always believed that once a film has been approved, work on it should begin right away.
There was nothing to wait for because every delay
could make the authorities find a reason for not making this film.