Interview: Paweł Łoziński’s ‘The Balcony Movie’ is an Ode to Life

What is the meaning of life? This is a question that has plagued the minds of many scholars and generations of people across the passage of time and one that Paweł Łoziński tackles in his new documentary The Balcony Movie, which is available starting today on MUBI.

In this moving documentary that tugs at heartstrings, the award-winning Polish director known for Sisters and Chemo asks people passing below his balcony questions about life, who they are, their story, and the meaning of life to find out what is in people’s hearts and minds. In an interview with Hollywood First Look, Łoziński said the idea for this film came to him as he was sitting having coffee with his wife on their balcony when he found himself intrigued as he observed people and overheard their conversations as they were passing by below him.

“My question was if I stand long enough in this one single place if the whole world will come into my frame, whole world meaning – young and old, rich and poor, you know, entire cross-section of the protagonists,” he said.

Having passers-by open up to a stranger, and with a camera no less, may seem daunting, but the documentary filmmaker successfully had people open up to him, sharing everything from joyous moments to heartbreaking ones. Łoziński said he didn’t find it too difficult for people to open up as he feels people have a need to be heard, and some may find relief in speaking their truth when they are carrying heavy burdens in life. He also feels like he created a free and safe space for those wanting to share intimate stories with him by having a small camera at a distance from above instead of one at eye level where participants may have felt forced to speak with him.

When asked how he handled situations in which the passers-by were experiencing hardships, sadness, or grief, he said that as a film director, he had to remain objective, but as a human being, he tried to be as understanding and empathetic as possible and let them know he was there for them. There were some cases in which he established a real bond with his protagonists, gifting one man a shirt who was going through hard times and who returned to speak with him several times, providing updates on his life. 

Out of the over 2000 people he spoke with, the film documents conversations with about 80 individuals. The editing process took over a year, and part of the process to select who made it into the film involved Łoziński keeping in mind the emotions he felt when he shot the footage or remembering which scenes he found interesting. 

In one memorable moment in the film, Łoziński asks one of his elderly protagonists what the meaning of life is, and she responds, “Life is the meaning,” and that sums up the message of his new film. People find meaning in their lives in various ways, some by helping others, others through love, and some through their work. 

“We constructed the film as a tribute to life. Because life is the most precious thing that we have. Nothing more. If we have life, then we can have liberty, love, and a lot of things, but life is most, most precious,” he explained.

As for Łoziński, he finds meaning in his life through love and work, in that order.