Authors:

• Monika Szwaja

  I am almost a native of Szczecin, and have been for over sixty years. I passed my matura exams at the famous high school no.5. Journalism has been a part of my life since high school, when I used to write theatre reviews for the “Filipinka” magazine's society of young theatre-lovers, and later ran the school magazine “Kaktus” (my only managerial position ever!). I intended to study law in Warsaw, but failed to score enough points for... my background. Then, by complete coincidence, I started working at the Base of The Television Film Studio. It was 1967, pioneering times, the Base employed people fascinated with cinema and television – my role models were most of all Janusz Pietrzykowski, an excellent cinematographer, and Bogdan Kondratt, a superb editor. I graduated from the department of Polish studies in Poznań extramurally, and after several years of working for the Base, and shooting "in my free time" the film “Lepiej niż ptaki,” I was offered a part-time job at the editorial office. I was never a “quick shot,” I preferred longer forms, especially reportage. During martial law I was both out of a job and out of the city. For two years in the Karkonosze Mountains, and six more in Szczecin, I was a teacher. A priceless experience, although I was glad to return to TV in 1989, as did so many other journalists. Film reports (well received by Warsaw's pre-release committees), documentaries, journalistic programs, interviews, major broadcasts – these were my specialty. I retired early mostly because I could no longer keep up with the cinematographer. Currently I write novels, lyrics for my shantymen friends, I sail (i.e. cruise the seas and oceans), I grow roses and raise two funny little dogs, occasionally I dabble in live comedy...

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