Conversation with Jakub Piątek, director of ‘Pianoforte’

MARIA MARCHLEWSKA: Four years have passed since the last Chopin Competition and two years since the premiere of Pianoforte. Have you had time to miss the Competition?

JAKUB PIĄTEK: I have the impression that over these four years the Competition hasn’t really ended. But I don’t see this as something negative – on the contrary, it makes me very happy. Since the film’s premiere in January 2023, I’ve been practically traveling non-stop. Pianoforte keeps reaching new audiences – most recently in Japan and China – which is a huge source of pride for me. Although everything happening around the film is extremely gratifying, I was left with a certain sense that something was missing after finishing it. That’s why I decided to return with the camera to the Chopin Competition this year.

M.M.: What do you expect from this new project, this time in the form of a series rather than a movie?

J.P.: Together with the team, we hope that the story will be broader, deeper, and longer. After Pianoforte, we felt that a lot of valuable material didn’t find its place in the film. There were fantastic scenes that just didn’t fit into the intense 90-minute narrative. A series allows for more freedom in storytelling, the use of flashbacks to preparations for the Competition, and also the chance to show other perspectives – not only the pianists’, but also those of their teachers, who play an enormous role. We also want to bring the work of the organisers and technical staff closer to the viewers. I’m very glad I’m not alone in this adventure. Some of the people I worked with on Pianoforte are returning, but two directors – Marta Prus and Marek Kozakiewicz – have also joined. Thanks to them, I feel a sense of freshness and can look at the Competition through their eyes, just as I myself looked at it for the first time four years ago.

M.M.: The stories of young pianists drew you in deeply. You seem to be not only an observer, but also a companion on their journey.

J.P.: I think this is a natural, empathetic way of making a documentary film. The situation our protagonists find themselves in is extraordinary. Stakes are high in the Competition, and it demands an unimaginable amount of work, time, and energy from the participants. One needs to acknowledge this effort and show respect for it. Our story will always be about the kind of paths young people take to appear on the stage of the Warsaw Philharmonic. These paths are different, often difficult, but all of them worth telling about.