Agnieszka holland compares life in Poland to 'sniffing farts':

World-famous film director Agnieszka Holland sharply critical of Polish political and cultural life:

"I live and work outside Poland. Whenever I come here, I feel as if I've been hit by a wave of polluted air, as if I was in a closed room in which someone just couldn't stop farting."

sz-n.com/2013/12/agnieszka-holland-compares-life-in-poland-to-sniffing-farts/

Is this insulting or just plain talking?

This poor man self made journalist forgot to add such biographical note that she could make a career as a film director thanks to the fact she was a daughter af Stalinist parents who held all the connections leading to getting funds from the state reserved only for commies . Her anti-Polish bigotry is all too well known to the Poles, and her opinion is not taken seriously by anyone in Poland .

We all know too well about red dynasties coming from the dark ages of communism .

This Norvegian should also study more about the subject before he writes some article .

Excellent stuff. Well said Agnieszka. Although she is speaking from an academic viewpoint, on the ground a foreigner sees that there are far too many self-congratulary pats on the back from the establishment, and not enough social action...

Compulsory purchase and remodelling inner cities would be a start, and the cancellation of the catholic days off, such as Kings on the 6th of January.

what is wrong with three kings day? why should 'catholic' days off be cancelled?

Because people are denied a living - that's why. Ridiculous to add days off when some of of us who are self employed are trying to work to survive and build a future.

Have your silly catholic prayer days but keep the rest of us out of it.

This is a very offensive remark . What about you Mods , so eagerly erased my comments .Is this comment in line with your principles?

Why offensive? Ask around. Millions of Poles feel the same as I do about 3 Kings. It's an neo-con-inspired waste of our time and right to carry out our business.

Not sure what is neo-con about it. Came from PiS. Surely Neo-cons would want something that would maximize profit - what this does to businesses is close them for a day but they still have to pay staff.

I don't mind an extra days holiday but the timing of this one is nuts - basically the first day of work after 2 weeks of eating and drinking and its a public holiday !

I don`t care about your anti - Polish slurs of some deluded immigrant from nowhere. Go back where you came from . We don`t need you here , parasites like you only bring disgrace to their own countries . Don`t even mention your nationality .


If you hate catholics so much , you can leave my beautiful Poland and leave us alone. We will do better without bigoted racists .

I'm catholic :) like the other 38 million here and the 70 or 80 million back in the US, I got along fine with working on this day for many years

Excellent article. It's heartbreaking that the conformity she mentioned lasts so long after the end of communism.

BTW, I wonder if people that say "if you don't like it, leave" realize that nothing ever would improve if someone didn't grew tired of status quo.

Polish Patriot, as far as I see, you are the one disgracing Poland with your inane comments.

You or your parents left Poland instead of fighting for our freedom from communism like rats from the sinking ship . This red dynasties occupy our politics and media because of the "round table" if you don`t know established and perpetuated by Polish Jews from NKWD, KGB and Polish secret police called SB . How would you change it , tell me ?

Are you suggesting that again we are to go with bare hands to fight against oppresive forces ? Tell me the method maybe we will use your miraculous measures .

Where is she critical of cultural life? Maybe you mean social/moral conventions?


I think your thread title is insulting. Looks like you want be a leftist version of Polonius3 lol

Holland didn't compare life in Poland to sniffing farts. She said that when she comes to Poland a kind suffocating atmosphere hits her, a wave of bad air as when someone keeps farting in a closed room. There's something that makes the air stuffy.

That's what she said.
And then she goes on talking about political life and the influence of the Church, about Wajda's film about Wałęsa, about film about Smoleńsk tragedy, etc. etc.

She talks from the viewpoint of someone with leftist/liberal views.
With some things I disagree (for example, when she talks about Tusk - after all his party wanted to introduce some kind of recognition by law for same-sex couples) and with some things I agree (for example about Polish politics, about the fact that Poles are wiser then their politicians, etc.).

What I also usually don't like and don't really understand - whining about what Poland is like and... living elsewhere, instead of staying here and changing it.


Because you wrote it in an offensive way.

Agnes Holland, half Jewish , born in Poland is among the most fanatical anti-catholic and anti patriotic leftists who has no ties with Poland since she left in 1981 . She continuously slanders Poles with anti-Semitism , she is hostile to our history and heritage to the extreme .

In interviews given by her still you can encounter the negative generalizations about the Poles as a nation that is supposedly immature , anti-Semitic and xenophobic , etc . A. Holland actually continues methods of fanatical communist agitation of her parents Henry Holland and Irene Rybczynski . This pair of Stalinists who with ferocity participated in battues on non-conformist scientists , including the infamous denunciation on the outstanding Polish scientist - Professor Władysław Tatarkiewicz .

Father of her H. Holland , among others, participated in foul letters about prof. W. Tatarkiewicz and Professor K. Twardowski containing confabulations which were later denied by one of the perpetrators who apologized later for their actions .

Always amusing to see a self-declared Pole complaining about people saying that some Poles are immature , anti-Semitic and xenophobic while himself being immature , anti-Semitic and xenophobic.

She said - " catholicism has always been philosophically extremely shallow, patriotic and political , not theological or mystical ."

By such statement we find out that in her mind patriotism means backwardness , surprisingly many atheists in Poland are patriotic BTW .

She demonstratively gave particular expression of her hostility to the Church by photographing a shirt with the words " I do not go to church." She was one of the most active attackers of the famous movie of Mel Gibson's "The Passion " for alleged anti-Semitism .

A.Holland's anti-Catholic phobias were very clearly reflected in her filmmaking .
Starting from the movie " To Kill a Priest " ( 1988 ), where she deliberately deformed figure of Father Jerzy Popieluszko and clearly embellished the SB killer. The aversion of Holland to the clergy is well illustrated by a statement that eluded her, in an interview for " Republic " from 25-26 November 2006 : "She said - " I am interested in people performing extreme life choices like terrorists , priests . "

The juxtaposition of terrorists and priests as " extremists " is another rather special product of mentality of her .

She expressed sympathy for the SB murderer of the priest .

In a movie titled " Europa, Europa ",she created simplified stereotypes. In addition to the interesting main character Simon Perel , a young Jew -saved thanks to his acting as German , we see the image of a young Pole - " anti-Semite " , she plays with his anti-Semitic bigotry and a picture of a good German.

Where did she preserve the right measure in genocide of the Polish nation ? This commercial libel on Poland and Poles. In Poland, there was 20% of Jewish population ( the biggest proportion in the world ) and the ship St. Louis has not been allowed into America just days before the II WW , because it was explained to them that there is ALREADY TOO Many JEWS in America ( 1%).

Do you understand the concept of intelligent film making PP? Would you rather Holland made films singing the praises of a fantasy world,a happy and united 21st century Poland, "M jak Milosz style" - with everybody living in modern Warsaw condos and never going to the toilet?

Please don't embarrass yourself any further. :))


I am entitled to be angry and to defend Holland - because I was paying taxes here and ZUS, while Polish Nationalist aka PP was still in short trousers.

When? Where?

Polish Patriot, I think you're exaggerating and demonizing her. While I did have some "wtf moments" during watching "To Kill a Priest", I've also seen "Europa, Europa". Admittedly I saw it years ago, but I don't remember any Polish character in that film and the way Germans were portrayed in it - well, I wouldn't call it a picture of a good German lol o_O

Actually, as far as I remember, I've read that both Germans and Jews had some kind of issues with this film.

And if she thought Poles are such xenophobes then I guess she wouldn't say this in that interview:


Quote from: radiozet.pl/Programy/Gosc-Radia-ZET/Blog/Gosc-Radia-ZET-Agnieszka-Holland


The fact that you're paying taxes doesn't entitle you to be an intolerant as*hole offending me and other Catholics in my own country.

And I'm not telling you not to defend Holland.

Lol - apt name if the first vowell is mispronounced 'o' as in 'ocean."

You said on one of your comments - When I was at school in the US there were a few PolAM guys in class who were good but the top positions were either ChineseAms, IndianAms or Russian (mostly Jewish).

Too bad , but I don`t believe you anyways .

WOW - School in USA during commie times in the seventies ?

Millions of catholics want nothing to do with 3 Kings as a Kaczynski legislated holiday, and that is a documented fact, so get off your high horse.

They want holidays when the weather is good - nothing to do with your old time, depressing, orthodox and desperate religious zealots who voted this in.

They are not representative of all catholic believers, just listen to the word on the street.

In the meantime, I hope a sensible government for business will annul this stupid holiday and let us all earn a crust. Or should I throw myself before my local priest and ask for sustenance.

Angry - you bet.

yeah, it's kinda sad that a Pole (she is) is talking so bad about her own country. Hating politics is one thing and degrading your country, is another.

Speaking for million of Poles now. I see you are that delusional so you better get of your high horse and pronto.

Nobody needs to constantly praise somewhere - if they do, people cease to believe them.

And her interview has certainly got people in PL talking.

That's not what I was writing about. I meant this comment of yours: "Have your silly catholic prayer days". That was unnecessary and made you look like an intolerant retard who's still wearing his short trousers...

Btw, do you have any polls about whether Poles want this holiday or not?

Agreed. Most countries have public holidays based on religions. Nothing wrong with it.

A shame that there are restrictions on doing business though. It hurts people doing crap jobs in the service industries and retail.

True - but that was the gist of what Holland was saying - that Poland is conservative - or rather "fundamentalist", and I am sorry to say - but she is saying exactly what many modern thinking Poles, young and old, think - but sometimes are loathe to say.

In the context of day to day life, where the earnings to cost of living ratio is inordinately low for a huge percentage of the population, myself included, the term "silly", though misguided and inappropriate, can be seen in it's real context.

We do not need another day off, for a day to sign off the religious calendar of twelth night. This is an historical anachronism and damaging to many peoples' right to earn a living.

Religion has no place in political society. So I will continue to be insulting to those fools who through their idea of enforced democracy steal money from those of us who can least afford it.

No, Dougpol, it was just an intolerant, offensive comment.

And listen, I don't care if this holiday is free of work or not, it wouldn't bother me if it wasn't, it's a minor holiday anyway, but do you have any proof that majority of Poles don't want it to be free of work? Any polls, surveys, anything?

There is no difference in meaning between: 'sniffing farts' and 'a suffocating atmosphere hitting you, a wave of bad air as when someone keeps farting in a closed room'?

The former statement is the same as the latter, just written more concisely.

No, szczecinianin, she described pretty precisely what she meant, while "sniffing farts" is smelling some unpleasant odor and that's it.
So, your thread title is primitive and scandalizing. It does certainly draw attention and I guess that was your intention. With such talent you could work at Daily Fail, I think :)