- The post about my dad should be something for people. It was not created to make money, but may have reached someone, simply, in a human way – Onet told the daughter of 29-year-old Jacek Janczarski and 29-year-old Ewa Błaszczyk
- “It gives me a kind of angst rather than a full sense of my own worth. And a sense of humor? I don’t know, my mom and I laugh about different things and sometimes it’s hard for me to judge. I guess we might have a little bit in common, but I’m definitely not as brave with jokes as he is,” she says.
- Mariana comments on self-interest as follows: When I was young, no one asked me if I wanted to be in the spotlight. I had no effect at all. And believe me, I’ve read bad reviews about myself many times. First, they wrote about me in the context of a tragedy, and later I also became an actress
- More of these talks can be found on the Onet.pl homepage
Karolina Błaszkiewicz, Oneh: Before our conversation, I looked at Wikipedia and it struck me how little attention was paid to your father. Of course, he was a humble man, and as you wrote, he didn’t quite believe in his talent, but even so… I wonder now if he would like your book.
Marianna Janczarski, actress, author of the biography “Jacek Janczarski. And so, and so on …”: I think he would love it if his daughter did something like that, but he probably won’t say it, or he’ll say I’m overreacting. Although I don’t really know. I still don’t really know him.
Did you want it to be longer, so more people would remember or start finding out about Jacek Janczarski?
Yes, although the book was a very selfish project that I used as therapy. I had always been curious about my father’s story, and while I knew some of his work, I didn’t know much about it. Although, interestingly, when it came to writing my master’s thesis on journalism, I thought first of all about … Stanisław Pareja.
Who your father was, he knew well. They wrote “The Money Changers” together.
The promoter only suggested to me that many of these works had already been created, and since my father wrote, so did my grandfather [Czesław Janczarski — polski poeta piszący dla dzieci — red.]… And at first I thought of joining them, but firstly – I was closer to my father, and secondly – I “communicated” with him during my life, and I could not get to my grandfather. In any case, there is still a lot of talk about it.
I myself grew up in “Miś Uszatek”.
More text below the video.
After the defense, I got a little tired of the topic, I took a break, but I still thought it would be good to tell this story, human to the bone. I took great care of him. I just want to keep in touch with others, look someone in the eye and talk like we do now. I know you also have a story behind you I’m curious to the extreme. So posting about my dad should be something for people. They were not created to make money, but they probably got to a person, simply put, in a human way.
If we met next, would you name your common features?
I’m still researching them, there are a lot of question marks…and I must admit I’ve been wondering for a long time how to write a book about someone I don’t know. First, I had an idea to do interviews, so I talked, for example, with Stefan Friedman, who told me: “Jasek was such and such.” Someone else added something – about my father’s behavior or some kind of his qualities – and there was a lot of overlap in the stories, which is important, but I still had no idea how to put it all together, how to organize it.
Later, the book went through a lot of revisions, avoiding making it sentimental, tearful. I just didn’t want to, so at first I didn’t give any feedback at all. And only when I read this I realized that there is no other way. It was about as funny as I added my fragments right before printing.
Do you think you showed Jacek Janczarski’s entire world?
I haven’t researched the TV archives, but it would take me 10 years to write. Maybe I’ll go back to it someday, but for now I feel it’s enough.
I think that it was not always easy for you to get close to your father emotionally, moreover, you write in the preface: “Over the years, out of longing, an idealized image of my father has formed in my head.” Several times interrupting the work that I was “disappointed with the information” I heard. Did something particularly touch you?
I was just pissed off, I was like, “Damn, you have a baby. That’s a responsibility.” Of course, from my point of view, since I have no children, although I am at such an age that if I had them, this responsibility would be greater. So… that was the moment where I paused for a moment.
The topic of Mr. Jacek’s relationship with Barbara Wrzesińska stayed with me. She was impressed that she could judge him from the sidelines without getting angry, which is the easiest thing when a relationship ends.
Time passed and views changed. We’ve known each other since I was little. However, I have never felt comfortable with this situation. It turned out to be completely unnecessary. Basia is an amazing person and I’m also an adult, so we can talk normally without going into any super detail, because it’s not really my thing either. But I am so thankful she gave me her point of view.
Where does your willingness to confront the whole truth about your father come from?
I had some free time (laughs). You know, I like to have a busy schedule. I usually leave in the morning and come back on the 23rd. But seriously — I really don’t know what it’s like to have a dad, what that relationship is like, or how he would even show jealousy for my boyfriend. What does it give, how does it compliment a person. I have no idea.
Ewa Błaszczyk and Jacek Janczarski with their daughters
What qualities do you see in yourself today?
Well, unfortunately, it’s kind of anxiety rather than full self-esteem. And a sense of humor? I don’t know, my mom and I laugh about different things and sometimes it’s hard for me to judge. I think we might have a bit in common, but I’m certainly not as brave as him in joking around.
Janczarski family
In the book, you remember your meeting, which I had to stop for a moment because it shocked me emotionally.
It was amazing, so human. You know, when I spoke to him, I felt as if everything around me had disappeared, and that’s when I heard from Andrzej: “You have his eyes, his energy.” He was very impressed. Me too. You see, I thought Stefan Friedman would tell me a lot and he said a lot, but beyond words I found it in someone I wasn’t expecting. And I will admit that the story of his death was something I fought for in editing. Because he said, “One of them was alive, right? Well, no.” An amazing sentence.
That the guy who left is still around.
I was also struck by the part about your last vacation, when Dad was talking to you and your sister from behind the camera, and you were replying in your childish language, which he was very interested in.
I remember how he interacted with us and so I wanted to show him, without commenting, and add what happened next. Because he wrote about it.
Jacek Janczarski
But you write – very bluntly – that your mother separated you from his death, so I wanted to ask you if the conversations with her, with the aforementioned, Stefan Friedman, revealed to you the whole truth in detail?
First your father died, then your sister’s accident happened soon after. Were there moments when I had enough of the narration: “Marianna grew up in the shadow of tragedy”?
When I was little, no one asked me if I wanted to be on a candlestick. I had no effect at all. And believe me, I’ve read bad reviews about myself many times. First, they wrote about me in the context of a tragedy, and later I also became an actress. I have heard many times that “my eyes are sad”, which I will not say at all.
Me too.
Allowing yourself to magically think, If you could ask your father one question, what would it be?
Once I had a very vivid dream that I met him on the pier. And it was so powerful, so real that I woke up in the middle of the night. I would like to feel his presence. People feel. Maybe not everyone does it, but I do. Anyway, “presence” is probably one of my favorite words in the context of myself, others, and life in general.
Book cover by Marianna Janczarska
“Jacek Janczarki. And so, and so on…” In bookstores from May 17
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