The director of the film “Lee. Na swoim oczy” Ellen Kuras feels 100% Polish. Her surname used to be Kuraś. Since only Ellen’s grandmother and grandfather spoke Polish in her family home, she only knows a few words, such as “idź śpi”, “dzien dobry” or “niedostytucznie”. Her paternal grandmother came from the Tarnów area, and her grandfather was born near Rzeszów.
“Our family never understood why they did it (they left for America – editor’s note). My grandmother lived in the countryside, one day she came to my mother and announced that she was going to America. The next day she got on the train herself and left. It was a bit similar with my grandfather – he sailed overseas to earn money. He kept repeating that he missed his homeland, that he wanted to come back to Poland. He missed the meadows and forests. But it was a decision from which there was no turning back. The communist regime had just taken power in Poland” – said Ellen Kuras in an interview for “Polityka”.
Ellen even wanted to study at the Łódź Film School, but due to the difficult political situation in Poland at the time (it was 1981, the time of martial law), she could not come here. “It’s a huge shame, because at that time it was the best film school in the world,” said Ellen in an interview for “Dzień Dobry TVN”.
Kuras met Paweł Edelman, an outstanding Polish cinematographer, only while working on the film “Lee. Na swoim oczy”, although previously various filmmakers had suggested to them in behind-the-scenes conversations that they were a great match for each other and that they would definitely do great working together.
Ellen really wanted to make a film with Paweł, especially since she knew and admired his earlier productions – with Andrzej Wajda in “Katyń” and with Roman Polański in such films as “The Pianist” and “Carnage”. That is why when the producer and leading actress Kate Winslet suggested to Ellen to direct the film “Lee. Na oczy”, she immediately remembered Edelman.
“Paweł is not only a talented and creative cameraman, but he also has great sensitivity and intuition. And on top of that, he is a wonderful person. We got along great. He is my Polish brother,” Kuras said in an interview for Monolith Films. Paweł Edelman also did not spare kind words for the director: “The fact that Ellen is also a cameraman helped a lot, we often understood each other without words.”
Paul Edelman He was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Roman Polański’s film “The Pianist”. This film also brought him a César, the European Film Academy Award and the Polish Film Award Orzeł. Edelman has also won awards for films such as “Pan Tadeusz”, “Kroniki domu”, “Kroll” and “Katyń”. He has worked with Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polański, Jerzy Stuhr, Władysław Pasikowski, Taylor Hackford, Steve Zaillian.
Ellen Kuras – director and cinematographer, for her debut – documentary “Betrayal” she received an Emmy Award and nomination for an Oscar and Spirit Award. She is the author of cinematography for films by Spike Lee, Jim Jarmusch, Michael Gondry, Sam Mendes, Rebecca Miller and Martin Scorsese. She worked as a director on popular series including “Ozark”, “Who is Anna?”, “The Umbrella Academy”.