Interview with Aneta Kopacz

“I became fascinated with a woman who had a very interesting way of writing about everyday life. […] I really wanted to meet her. I wanted to meet the person who has such a unique way of looking at the world,” says Aneta Kopacz, director of the Oscar-nominated documentary Joanna.

Joanna enjoys every moment, although she has been diagnosed with a serious disease. She promised her son that she would do everything in her power to be with him as long as possible. She doesn’t give up. She started a blog for her son, in which she writes about their everyday life in a way that is both simple and poignant. The blog becomes an inspiration for many readers to lead a mindful and happy life. The film shows selected moments in the life of Joanna, her husband Piotr, and their son Jaś. Poetic and often funny, the film plays on discreet observation. A simple, sensual film about looking at life and about love.

Joanna was produced by Wajda Studio within the framework of Dok Pro, a programme co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, co-produced by the National Audiovisual Institute, and sponsored by Codemedia. Funds for the production of Joanna were also raised through wspieramkulture.pl, a Polish crowdfunding site.

This interview with director Aneta Kopacz took place in May 2013 at the 10th Planete+ Doc film festival.

Joanna has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Short Subject category along with Nasza klątwa (Our Curse) by director Tomasz Śliwiński. Both films were co-financed by the Polish Film Institute. Academy Award winners will be announced on February 22, 2015.

Joanna will be released theatrically in Poland on February 20, 2015.