From hospitals and sanatoriums to the Third World countries
A series of meetings being part of the programme of the 17th edition of the Tofifest IFF has started with a bang. Those, who watched the film Janka (directed by Adela Kaczmarek), has a chance to meet the woman it is dedicated to, following the screening. During the meeting, Janina Ochojska talked about the hardships she encounters in her everyday life, and about the strength she continues to find to do what she does.
The director of this documentary film is the one who not only weaves the story of her protagonist, but also helps tell it. She gives a pretext to ask new questions and think deeply about the life of Janina Ochojska, which transforms the film into such a universal story that virtually anybody will a lesson to learn from in it. It took good seven years to make the film and Janina Ochojska commented: I knew that someone would make a film about me, one day. The only question was: who would that be? And it was Adela, who was capable of seeing the world in my head. That was the reason why it took so long to make the documentary, as more and more new elements kept popping up, and the project grew simultaneously with the evolving relationship between the artist and the social activist. The cooperation transformed into friendship, and Janina Ochojska is now a godmother of Adela Kaczmarek.
The first part of the meeting focused on the childhood of the founder of the Polish Humanitarian Action. That period in her life and early teenage years became the source of her firm and strong character. While taken care of at a facility that provided care and education for disabled children, she not built long-time friendships but also came to terms with her disability and got rid of all inferiority complexing stemming from it. I was never afraid, she admits. My tough upbringing helped me become independent and deal with all problems head-on.
Courage is definitely one of the most visible traits that Janka displays. Despite her disability, she has become the leader of a humanitarian organisation of immense proportions. She defied the then authorities and pursued the goals she wanted to achieve with a rebellious spirit. There was nothing that could stop her from visiting countries affected by war or famine. She always talks about the people she helped with overwhelming empathy and concern. She deeply cares for their lives. And she never resorts to serving them ready-to-use solutions. What we do is to give fishing poles to people, instead of fish. One must act wisely, when helping others. Janina Ochojska compares the things she does to learning to walk, back at the facility.
Today, she is a member of the European Parliament, fighting tirelessly for a better world for all people, despite having to face yet another illness – breast cancer. When talking about that period in her life, somebody among the audience had a question to ask: How can one dedicate their lives to fighting for a better tomorrow, for example for immigrants, while at the same time living in a society full of hatred and intolerance? I cannot and will never accept it, she replied in short.
When discussing her achievements and, for that matter, her entire life, she radiates immense calm. All her life is about the mundane. She is not angry at fate, but accepts all obstacles with humility and then overcomes them. She is a humble person, full of empathy and humbleness, who never gives up, while her stories and stance evoke similar attitudes in people listening to her. Admiration was the word I heard more than a dozen times, after leaving the room.
It is worth mentioning that Janina Ochojska has been connected with Torun for many years now. Torun is like a magnet. This was the place where my intrigue was born, she said. She graduated from astronomy at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun. During the meeting, she revealed her intention to come back to the city of her Alma Mater for good, which will happen soon.
Zuzanna Rygielska
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