Spilling Pain is a short documentary film done as a cooperation between RATS Agency and Amnesty International, which main objective was to give voice to people who were directly affected by violence of Polish police. I co-directed it together with Filip Skrońc, and did most of the research behind it, together with still photography.
In the recent months we have witnessed a sharp rise in the use of excessive force by the police against women and men marching the streets, who are legally expressing their disagreement with the government’s policies. Non-violent protesters were tear gassed, kettled, fined and transported to remote police stations where they are detained for extended periods of time.
“We Protect and Serve” (Pomagamy i Chronimy) is the motto of the Polish Police. However, 88% of Poles state that in their opinion, the police have practiced torture or are still practicing torture, according to a recent poll by Kantar Millward Brown (2020).
This film, created in cooperation with Amnesty International is a powerful testimony given by the people who experienced violence from the hands of those we expect to protect us. We wish the police officers to see the people behind the masks, understand the effect their actions have and bear the responsibility for the powers vested in them.
Thanks to:
AVTOMAT, KACPER LUBIEWSKI, LU, MAGDA, MACIEK PIASECKI, MAŁGORZATA AMELIA JĘDRZEJCZA, MAŁGORZATA RAWIŃSKA, MEL, MOLA, OLEK, OLIVIA MASOJA, TADEUSZ JAKRZEWSKI, WERONIKA
directed by
PAWEŁ STARZEC & FILIP SKROŃC
camera, editing
FILIP SKROŃC
research, photography
PAWEŁ STARZEC
produced by
KAROL KRAS
sound, protest footage
ANTONI MANTORSKI
lighting
GRZEGORZ WEŁNICKI & KUBA KRYSIAK
special thanks to
RATS AGENCY: EWA MIELCZAREK, KAROL GRYGORUK, MICHAŁ DĄBROWSKI
&
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL POLAND: AGNIESZKA DĄBROWIECKA, ALEKSANDRA KISTOWSKA, DRAGINJA NADAŽDIN
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