Is the screenplay based on the book or does it go further? Or perhaps it goes in some other directions?

The screenplay is, of course, based on the book Testimony. But it rarely happens that a book is a ready-made material that can be automatically turned into a film. At some points, the screenplay goes much further than the book - it portrays John Paul II's youth, of which the original doesn't speak much. The film goes into an interpretation of certain choices made by the Pope, something that the book doesn't do. It also shows more private moments from John Paul II's life that were not recounted in the book.

Did you seek sources and inspiration outside the book Testimony?

Of course. I worked with the journalist and Vatican watcher, Gian Franco Svidercoschi, whose conversations with Cardinal Dziwisz made up the book. He's an expert on Karol Wojtyła's life. I know this biography very well too. We were trying to take a broad view and to gather information from many sources. We used public information and several works devoted to various years and aspects of John Paul II's pontificate.

Was the work on this film much different from your previous Vatican projects?

It was considerably different due to the formula of the picture. This is perhaps the first cinema film that has a para-documentary form. In our cinema, we have so far had almost only feature films. Full-length documentaries make up only a fraction of Polish film production. Testimony is perhaps the first attempt to combine the documentary form with feature elements in a full-length production. These elements were mainly dramatised scenes that could be labelled "off-camera moments” as cameras couldn't be there when the events actually took place.We reconstructed these situations very precisely, based on Cardinal Dziwisz's account, adding some artistic interpretation which brings in the necessary distance, because you can't have a one-to-one reconstruction in the film.

Is it then more of a documentary or a dramatised artistic vision?

Neither. We were very surprised to get a completely new form, where some things came up spontaneously. The form of dramatised documentary evolved to its final incarnation during our work. Perhaps the Cardinal's story demanded a new form and this is how it happened.

What are your impressions of the film encounter with Cardinal Dziwisz?

Even though he wasn't the first Cardinal I had met, I was very impressed. Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz is a great person to talk to. Discreet, witty, but at the same time as if "cut out for" film narration. The facts he talks about and the way he does it make his narration very easy to translate into the language of film. Meeting the Cardinal was the greatest joy for a filmmaker.

How did you get along with Michael York, the narrator in the film.

York is a professional Hollywood star to work with. It was a really creative cooperation. He is someone who doesn't get distracted or stressed, and who works for the film and not the publicity around it. These were extremely valuable hours.

It's worth remembering that contrary to many celebrated Hollywood actors, Michael York is a well-educated man, which makes working with him much easier. He graduated from Oxford University with a degree in English literature.

After his studies, he acted in Shakespearian roles for six years, beginning his film career when he was over thirty. He's an absolute perfectionist, which makes him totally focused on his work. He never sulks or quarrels on the set. A celebrity himself, he never appears in the tabloids. His values come from a different world than that of tabloids and gossip magazines.

Is Testimony a film for Catholics? What value may it bring for people outside the Catholic Church?

Testimony is a narrative about the whole epoch in the history of Poland, Europe and the world. This is a story about the twentieth century and the turn of the millennium. If an atheist or an agnostic rejects in part or in whole the issue of faith and John Paul II's role in that, they cannot overlook this great figure in the secular context - both historical and political. You can't overlook the significance of this pontificate for historical transformations in Poland and in the world. Willing to live a conscious life, someone outside the Catholic Church cannot reject John Paul II in the sociological context either - as a person whose thought and words appealed to the masses - overlooking his impact on the social changes in this part of Europe. The greatness of John Paul II also lies in the fact that you cannot limit his influence only to religious or any other contexts. The Pope's actions were driven by his faith and his religious mission, but this pontificate can be seen through many otherdimensions you have to talk about.

That's also what our Testimony is about. The film is not a religious newsletter, but a picture and an analysis addressed to us all - the witnesses and participants of the events at the turn of the century. It is also addressed to future generations.