The working dossier for the filming trip to Poland

Tuesday is the day the Chasing Portraits documentary film project leaves for Poland. I’m frequently asked how I feel about this impending journey. Honestly? I’m both incredibly excited and totally nervous. I am both very much looking forward to the trip and completely dreading it. Two weeks is a long time to be away from family and an incredibly short time to get all that I hope to get accomplished actually done. I have high hopes for the trip but am worried about some of the details coming together. I think there will be great discoveries and disappointments. I think I will meet wonderful, helpful, kind, and caring people and others who will put up roadblocks and make it difficult for me to meet my goals. I am trying to put on my “this is an adventure” hat and to take it all in stride. I am trying to figure out how to take my Americanized self into the land of my ancestors and to navigate my Elizabeth Rynecki identity in a place where people will be more comfortable calling me Elzbieta Rynecka. I am trying to head off on this journey with an open mind and heart. I am trying to focus on the fact that the journey is all about the art of my great-grandfather, his memory, and legacy.

Want to hear about the project while I’m in Poland? Don’t miss out on any exciting developments! I’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes photos, stories, and updates here on my blog, as well as on the project’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.

In other news… Did you miss the October newsletter that went out in email yesterday? Get the next one by signing up with just your email address!

The Chasing Portraits documentary film project is headed to Poland on the 14th of October! This two week working trip has a packed itinerary. It’s so busy I’ve decided there’s zero time for jet lag because I need to hit the ground running! There are 10+ interviews scheduled with curators, art historians, and private collectors, visits to view Moshe Rynecki paintings at several different museums, site visits in Warsaw (the path of remembrance and sites pertinent to the Rynecki family story), and side trips to the State Museum at Majdanek (Lublin), Kazimierz Dolny (art colony), and Krakow!

Please watch this space over the next few weeks for updates about the trip and filming progress. I promise brief posts with photos, updates, and insights about the trip. Remember, these are behind-the-scenes sorts of peeks at the project. When the documentary film editor goes into post production, not all these stories and footage will make it into the final film! You can also catch updates about the project on Facebook and Twitter.

I am also incredibly excited to announce that I will be speaking at the JCC in Krakow on Sunday October 26th at 17:00 (that’s 5pm!). If you know anyone in Krakow who might be interested in learning more about the art of Moshe Rynecki, my quest to find the lost art, and the documentary film project, please do let them know about the talk. It’s free and open to the public.