The film “Let There Be No Trace” by Jan P. Matuszyński has just had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. There was a standing ovation. The crew posed on the red carpet. And where is Cezary Łazarewicz, the author of the brilliant book for which he received the Nike Award and which was made into a film, in the photos? – wrote Marcin Meller on Facebook. There would be no film without his book. Why was it left out?

Łazarewicz, Żulczyk, Twardoch

This is not the first time that book authors, and sometimes co-authors, have been omitted from official premieres. “I learned that the series ‘The King’ was nominated and subsequently received the Eagles for the best series of the year thanks to a text message from a friendly friend who was watching the gala,” wrote Szczepan Twardoch ago some months.

It was the same at the Eagles gala with “Belf” and “Blinded by the Lights”, which received an award, but Jakub Żulczyk was not invited. Violetta Ozimkowski wasn’t even invited to the premiere of “The Art of Loving,” based on her book “The Art of Loving a Scourge.” And yet, who would not think of inviting Stephen King or Robert Harris to the premiere of films based on their books?

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So that there is no trace of the author

Until recently, screenwriters and screenwriters were also overlooked, but that has slowly started to change. Now for the book authors. “As a literary activist, I feel responsible to fight not to ignore those who created, invented and described various stories,” wrote Zygmunt Miłoszewski, active in the Literary Union, in a moving message. The film’s producer, Leszek Bodzak, also spoke and explained that it was the festival’s protocol and regulations that determine who should attend the press conference, who should be in the photos, and who has the right to walk the red carpet. . Cezary Łazarewicz is in Venice as a guest of the producer and not of the festival. It would be nice if festivals, as suggested by Antoni Komasa Łazarkiewicz, author of numerous film scores, finally learned to honor films as the work of a collective, instead of clinging to archaic appearances.

But it is true that we must claim the authorship of the book wherever we can. After all, very often we do not find information in a film that the screenplay is based on a book, so it is not surprising that people do not remember to invite the writer to galas and Red carpet. This must change. It is impossible that there is no trace of the author.

Jakub Żulczyk: Some things cannot be fixed