About this project
(If you find this campaign after the deadline has ended, you can still offer us support by contacting us at: kwielgosz@mail.com and we will be very happy to discuss the way in which you'd like to contribute)
In 1944, twenty-three year-old Jadwiga (known affectionately to her family as 'Wisia') had been living in her native Poland under the yoke of German-occupation for almost five years. Unbeknownst to the invaders, an underground force was mobilizing with the aim of reclaiming at least part of its homeland. The 'Armia Krajowa' ('Home Army') operated in secret, received its orders from the exiled Polish government and employed the skills of many young people like Wisia to aid them in the uprising.
A select group of youth, including Wisia and her brother, had been secretly selected and trained in running messages and administering medical aid. This group of young civilians supported and sometimes even fought alongside the Armia Krajowa. Their jobs were extremely dangerous but they carried out their missions with remarkable bravery. Our documentary will explore not only the historical details of Wisia's experience but just as importantly, the composition of her courage, to be able to survive - and ultimately escape - when so many were imprisoned or perished at the hands of these violent intruders.
On the 1st of August 1944, led by the Armia Krajowa, the proud people of Poland united in an attempt to repel the invaders from the city of Warsaw. Through a series of operations and concerted attacks, the civilian-supported Armia Krajowa devastated the German occupiers in the short-term and formed the backbone of what history remembers as The Warsaw Uprising. The uprising's subsequent failure, eventual slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Polish soldiers and citizens and Hitler's vindictive destruction of 90% of the city, does nothing to bury the bravery of all who fought during this period for the basic privilege of a peaceful life.
Countless other stories of bravery by soldiers and civilians alike also remain untold, but the selfless actions of one particular twenty-three year-old woman remain a timeless demonstration of heroism in the face of tremendous adversity. This young woman, Wisia, is now a great-grandmother approaching her 90th birthday with a spring in her step and glint in her eye. She is our grandmother and we can no longer allow her sacrifices to remain simply a page on an historical website. For decades her full story has remained untold, but with your backing we will travel back in time with Wisia. She will acquaint us with the locations, walk us through salient events and introduce us to the survivors of such an unforgettable time in her life, in Warsaw, Poland.
Unlike the stories of many who suffered and endured the horrors of war, Wisia's refusal to bow down and her active contribution to Warsaw's resistance, elevate her heroism in our eyes. Her tale will also reveal surprising elements, such as mid-war romantic advances, a curiously benevolent Nazi guard, and the presence of a protecting force in the form of the Virgin Mary.
History is forgotten when it is no longer personal. We want the world to share the personal story of Wisia, nursing wounded soldiers in a building with full knowledge that it will soon be bombed; carrying soldiers across hostile city streets into churches that were destroyed with them inside. Digging free and seeking refuge in a hospital, only to find Nazis raising the Swastika flag and rounding up the wounded for labor camps or immediate execution.
Remarkably, this special young woman survived. Saving as many lives as she could along the way. Awarded medals for her contributions, Wisia still eschews heroic labels. Our twenty-three year-old heroine will finally have a chance to share her experiences with the world. She is Babcia Wisia, she is our grandmother, and this is her story.
FAQ
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Two return tickets to Warsaw, local travel, travel insurance, shooting permits, partial equipment hire and partial equipment purchase, small crew hire, accommodation, living expenses, editor, incidentals - all to be specifically outlined in updates as we go. (Not to mention 5% Kickstarter fee and Amazon's up to 5% fee)
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Of course! There are many non-financial ways you can help the project. You can LIKE the idea (above) and POST this page's link to Facebook, Twitter, My Space or any other social networking sites. You can EMAIL the link to all of your friends and contacts, asking them to seriously consider supporting our campaign. You can take 5 minutes and work out who you know that would really CONNECT with Wisia's story, then write a quick email, sending the link and encouraging them to contribute. If you have connections with anyone who sells or hires digital video EQUIPMENT/cameras or TRAVEL and is capable of SPONSORING us or offering extraordinary DISCOUNTS, please let us know. If you are aware of PHILANTHROPIC or HISTORICAL SOCIETY groups whose charter seems to parallel our humanitarian theme, we are keen to contact them. The main thing though, is consistent and regular PROMOTION. So please FOLLOW our campaign, encourage others to do the same and, if you share it with others, please share it as REGULARLY as you can (every two or three weeks is ideal). A good start to our funding drive is encouraging but a solid finish is absolutely necessary. Remember, if we don't reach our goal IN FULL, we get nothing. In advance, thank you all!
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Babcia Wisia's 90th birthday is November 1st, so we aim to spend at least a few weeks with her in the lead up. Therefore, we would travel to Poland no earlier than the beginning of October this year. Once again, all details will be shared in regular updates along the way.
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We have decided on a 60-day campaign, which will allow us ample time at the end to collect contributions (Amazon may hold funds for up to two weeks and may take ANOTHER week to send them through to our account) and buy or book equipment, crew, tickets and accommodation in advance of our proposed travel dates. During these two months we will post regular updates and let you know how close we are to our goal. The campaign will end in the first week of August.
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Unlike other crowd-funding sites, such as Indie Go Go, Kickstarter campaigns only receive the pledges made when the goal is reached. IF WE DO NOT MAKE OUR $10,000 TARGET, WE GET $ZERO. (You are never charged any money and we don't receive any). We believe this is a strong driving force to make sure the goal is reached. With only sixty days to reach this goal, we will need all the support we can get. If you can contribute, we would be very grateful. If you can't, please send this campaign to everyone you know. We are often surprised by who says they will gladly contribute - you may be too! $10,000 is a very small budget and we hope that with even small contributions from many people, Wisia's Story, will be the perfect tribute to a life lived so gloriously!
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If it is really impossible, then you could contact someone you know and have THEM pledge money on your behalf. If we reach our budget, then you simply give them the money before it debits their card. Otherwise, you could let us know your predicament (via email) and perhaps we'll put you in touch with someone you may know who is yet to pledge. Then you can organise between yourselves how to get money into their account, whilst they put it on their credit card, creating a sort of 'syndicate' and split the Pledge Rewards between you.
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Wisia's grand-daughter, actress Karina Wielgosz, as well as her fiancé, actor-director Paul Barry are the creatives behind the project. Together they co-own the business Acting 4 Camera in Los Angeles. Karina will conduct conversations with Wisia and translate, whilst Paul will write and direct the documentary. The crew will always be kept very small, but any other key creatives will be announced in subsequent updates.
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We will enter Wisia's Story into reputable worldwide festivals (including those with an emphasis on humanitarian subject matter) and discuss various distribution or sales options that arise. The film itself will also become the research for completion of the dramatized screenplay of Wisia's contribution to the Uprising. By early 2012, The documentary and screenplay will form the basis of a pitch package to shoot the feature film version in Warsaw. But, first things first...
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Not really. Kickstarter simply requires name, email address and a password. Then Amazon requires name, billing address and credit card. That should be it. If you already have either of these accounts then it'll be a lot quicker. (Imagine how difficult it would have been in 1944...)
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
108
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$11,538
pledged of $10,000 goal
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on August 8, 2011.
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------------BRONZE CROSS OF MERIT------------- Our warmest thanks for taking the time to contribute. You are a good person. We couldn't do this without you.
Pledge $5 or more Pledge $5 or more
---------SILVER CROSS OF MERIT--------- You will receive regular Kickstarter updates on the project, including some photos and stories as they become available.
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----------GOLD CROSS OF MERIT---------- An individual email from the filmmakers in Warsaw with a still (photo) from documentary footage.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
-----CROSS OF MERIT FOR BRAVERY----- The EMAIL, the STILL (photo) and a personally hand-written POSTCARD from the film-makers in Warsaw updating you on progress and thanking you for your invaluable support.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
-------------CROSS OF VALOR---------------- A personally hand-written POSTCARD from Babcia Wisia herself in Warsaw (translated from Polish to English, if need be), thanking you for your contribution and SPECIAL THANKS IN THE CREDITS of the film.
Pledge $250 or more Pledge $250 or more
------------ORDER OF THE CROSS------------------------------OF INDEPENDENCE-------------------- A POSTCARD from the filmmakers, a postcard from Babcia Wisia, special thanks in the credits, a PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT from our Polish journey + a special POLISH RECIPE from Babcia Wisia's pantry....
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
---------ORDER OF MILITARY CROSS-------- POSTCARDS from the filmmakers and Babcia Wisia, a still (photo) from the footage, a limited edition FRAMED PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT, special thanks in the film's CREDITS, a unique RECIPE from our heroine and you will be emailed a short, unedited VIDEO CLIP PREVIEW from the footage.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
------ORDER OF POLONIA RESTITUTA------- In ADDITION to the perks of 'Order of the Military Cross' (above), you will receive a SPECIAL GIFT from the 'Warsaw Uprising Museum'.
Pledge $2,000 or more Pledge $2,000 or more
--------------VIRTUTI MILITARI--------------- You will receive EVERYTHING MENTIONED ABOVE as well as EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CREDIT on the film and IMDb, and private online access to a PREVIEW SCREENING of the documentary well before release to the public.
Pledge $5,000 or more Pledge $5,000 or more
-------ORDER OF THE WHITE EAGLE------- ALL OF THE ABOVE plus EP CREDIT on the documentary, a complete personal COLLECTION OF DELICIOUS POLISH RECIPES from Babcia Wisia's pantry. Not to mention our recommendation that you receive a place in heaven for your generosity. If you live in the Greater LA area, we will also hand-deliver HOME-MADE PIEROGIES (Polish dumplings) to you and share our journey in person. Wisia's Story has always been an intensely personal one for us to tell and your significant contribution will be mentioned (unless you wish to remain anonymous to the public) in any press associated with the making of, or distribution of, this documentary.
Project By
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Karina Wielgosz is an actress and scientist, trained in Biochemistry and Psychology. She studied Screen Acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Australia as well as traveling the rest of the world extensively. Born in America with Polish as her first language, Karina also absorbed English and French growing up in Canada, followed by Spanish during six months of volunteer 'development' work in South America. She is the second youngest of Wisia's four grand-children.
Karina's fiancé Paul Barry is an actor, director and writer of stage and screen. He has been acting since the age of twelve, directing since seventeen and has taught well in excess of two thousand actors over the last fifteen years. Paul is an acting graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, Australia. Karina and Paul co-own and run Acting 4 Camera, an acting training business, and Paul is co-owner of another business, Showreels Australia. Showreels Australia operates as a production company delivering high-end video reels to actors and directors in the Australian film & TV industry.
