"He Seems to Have Forgotten That we Never Surrender"
Image credit: Elena Mozhvilo
Dear Friends, Filmmakers, People of good will and faith,
As you probably all know, Ukraine has been brutally attacked by Russia. It’s been 26 long days. There is no doubt – it is not a conflict. It is a brutal, aggressive, unjustified aggression. It is a war!
Our generation, both in Ukraine and in Poland, has been raised by parents and grandparents who survived World War II. Their memories are still very much alive in our homes, in our minds and in our identity. No one has ever imagined, even in their wildest dreams, that this reality could come back. But it did. The enemy obviously didn’t learn his lesson. He seems to have forgotten that we never surrender. We are fighters.
Ukraine soldiers and civilians have been bravely defending their country for 26 days now. Women and children are running away from the war. 2,000,000 refugees from Ukraine have already arrived in Poland looking for asylum, for help and they're still getting in. Poland responded strongly. The Polish government fights for international support, for sanctions and finally for arms. Since February 24th, Poles have been donating and collecting clothes, food, pharmaceuticals, blood, money, whatever it takes to support Ukraine. A lot of people offer accommodation and transport to refugees for free. Many companies, including creative agencies and production houses, share their office spaces. If there is anything we can do, we do it. There are no words to describe how united and determined we are.
By February 24th, the Polish media industry, as probably many branches of the Polish economy, felt overloaded. There was a lot to do in terms of both ongoing and approaching projects. On the 25th of February, it turned out that we’ll have to make more time, find more energy and more strength that we could imagine. As people, we have been helping every day since then. We are involved in many different relief efforts. As Graffiti Films, we have to work on a regular basis. Our office is a vibrant place, as always. There are no production issues because of the war. We just have to diversify our forces and focus on more important matters than usual.
Today, the Polish film and media industry works on solutions dedicated strictly to the current situation. We are involved in it as well. We’re discussing many issues like providing living space and work places for Ukrainian professionals, collecting necessary goods for Ukrainians who stayed in Ukraine and those who are in Poland, organising education and support for children and youth, etc.
It is a lot of work for us. We just want you to know that we’re here for you. We don’t exist when we cannot produce. All we ask for is understanding that Poland has now something important to do. We just have to do it. We fight against the terror by helping, by supporting Ukraine. It is a fight for all of us. We can stop this monster now and we are trying our best to do so.
Szymon Gruszecki – Graffiti Films CEO
