Root

“Root” is an audiovisual essay by a couple from Poland and Ukraine. She is from Kraków. He has lived in Poland since the age of seventeen. He is from Mariupol. The war found him in a foreign country.

Place and circumstances of the testimony (max. 1000 characters):
The work was created when Mariupol was under siege, deprived of water, electricity, and communication. Parents, friends, and acquaintances were silent, and the only sources of information were Telegram channels where the walls of houses fell like overripe pears.

The work is a testimony to the process of adapting to new circumstances. It shows the role of a close person from Poland, whose presence and support made it possible to endure during a time of chaos and pain — even though she herself did not know how to behave or what words to use. Support consisted of accompanying walks, sometimes completely silent, and searching for space to express community, kindness, closeness, and solidarity.

He: In the essay, I used video footage that I shot in Mariupol in the summer of 2021, interwoven with forest scenery around Kraków.

She: I still don’t know how to behave or what words to use.

He: From the perspective of years, I see in this work a process of dispersion — creating a new home and saying goodbye to the old one. This experience allowed me to fully accept Poland as my new home and let go of the former one. I have taken root.