Warsaw Tour Guide, Ela Rudniak

09/11/2024

Earlier this year, Julia von Heinz, a German film director, made a film set in post-communism Warsaw and Łódź in 1991. The film is based on a book by Lily Brett telling her and her father's story.The main characters, Ruth, a New York journalist (Lena Dunham) and her father, Edek (Stephen Fry) arrive at Warsaw where they hire a taxi (Zbigniew Zamachowski as a taxi driver) to have a ride to Łódź, to Edek's hometown, and... to Edek's memories of the pre-war city. In his family he's the only Holocaust survivor. He now shows the city, places connected with his and his family's past to his daughter.

The film was screened today as part of the 22nd Warsaw Jewish Film Festival. After the screening Julia von Heinz answered a few questions. Below is a link to my 60-second recording when she talks about the main actors', i.e., Lena Dunham's and Stephen Fry's links with Poland and Jewish heritage.

The film is a prologue or rather an epilogue to my upcoming tour of Łódź ghetto that I'm preparing for. It also links with my live streaming from Piotrkowska Street in Łódź I did the other week (the recording is available on my YT channel). BTW If you want to see "Treasure", it will be available to watch online for a week or so after the festival.

„Treasure” film director is talking @ L. Dunham’a and S. Fry’s Jewish and Polish links at Warsaw Jewish Film Festival. ...

04/11/2024

This year’s 1 November tour was around Military Powązki Cemetery (NB a shorter version of the tour is available on my channel), but could I not go to the Old Powązki⁉️On Saturday, I took a longer walk there, along the cemetery sleepy paths, stopping at some gorgeous tombstones, admiring the recent work of restorers.

Sharing a 4K clip from the most prominent part of the cemetery - the Honor Lane and catacombs. Some of you may remember the area from my walks, but with the autumn evening sunshine it looks even more enchanting. See for yourself.

https://youtu.be/_uKFVPHORuk

02/11/2024

If you'd like to see a shorter version of my yesterday's livestream from the Day of the Dead/All Saints' Day in one of Warsaw's Powązki cemeteries, here is the link. At around 25 min into the recording, there is an unexpected encounter with Poland's famous actors' pair. BTW You can see both actors performing live at Teatr Nowy in Warsaw as well as in films on Netflix and on other platforms.

🌟 Experience All Saints' Day Live from a Warsaw Cemetery! 🌟On November 1st, I invite you to join me for a livestream eve...

31/10/2024

Facebook reminded me of the photos taken exactly two years ago at the Old Powązki Cemetery. Tomorrow I'm going to livestream from the other Warsaw Powązki Cemetery.

🔴 Here's the event livestream link: https://youtube.com/live/iYEvBe3w20o
It'd be very nice if you joined me for the virtual walk.

21/10/2024

A few glimpses of Łódź from my yesterday’s visit to this amazing city - before and after the livestream.
🔴 https://youtube.com/live/cfhHzvQooHE

20/10/2024

Off to Łódź. Hope to e-see you later today.

https://youtube.com/live/cfhHzvQooHE

18/10/2024

What does the artificial palm tree in central Warsaw have to do with Piotrkowska Street in Łódź? Join my livestream this Sunday from Łódź to find out.
🔴 Here’s the stream link:
https://youtube.com/live/cfhHzvQooHE

17/10/2024

Cycling home tonight with this lovely full Moon above the Poniatowski Bridge. No filters used - it was so orange. A magic moment.

16/10/2024

The Vistula this morning.

13/10/2024

It’s been a couple of weeks since I came back from Madrid but on a day like today here in Warsaw with greyness, wind, lower temperature amd expected rain, it feels just right to have some Spanish sunshine, energy and warmth.
Filmed on a September Sunday in Mercato del Rastro, Madrid’s busy flea market - Warsaw squirrels say, it’s one of Pedro Almodovar’s favourite places.
Do join by watching. Any thoughts? Please share.
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https://youtu.be/ykRawH5JY2s

05/10/2024

02/10/2024

Fancy a walk around Madrid Plaza Mayor? Posting a link to a 4K video: NO COMMENTARY! Just the stereo sound of the city and crystal clear (most of the time) video of the capital as I walk through its amazingly vibrant streets.
Here is the video link: https://youtu.be/ccC-PBM4acg

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30/09/2024

Posting a few photos from tonight’s one-actor show with magnificent Agnieszka Przepiórska starring in this remarkable performance. The piece is based on a true history of a girl who at the beginning of the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944 was held, together with tens of thousand of other men and women, by SS RONA soldiers at the western district of Warsaw Ochota in Zieleniak, a market hall that served as a transfer camp. A lot of women imprisoned there were r***d by n***s at a gunpoint, some were tortured, killed, some survived, but for many years kept the experience for themselves in the fear of being stigmatized.

Tonight, a couple of days before the 80th anniversary of the end of the Warsaw Uprising the story of Irena was told. I heard it and felt as if I had witnessed her trauma at Zieleniak.

27/09/2024

On visiting the building today, I had to stop to admire the intricate architectural details and ornaments characteristic of Art Deco. Constructed between 1927 and 1930, it was one of the most impressive and prestigious edifices of the Second Polish Republic, originally housing the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education. Today, it serves as the Ministry of National Education.

During WWII, the building on Aleja Szucha was occupied by the Gestapo, becoming notorious as a site of interrogation and torture. The building's grim history includes the suffering of many Polish resistance members and civilians, making it a poignant symbol of wartime atrocities.

Despite its dark past, the building now stands as a testament to resilience and renewal. See some photos of the interior details. Isn't it stunning?

25/09/2024

Madrid Day 5: dogs. You can see quite a lot of dog walkers in Madrid streets. As you do in Warsaw. Here, it seems it’s more common to have more than one dog, and although the number of pet dogs in Spain is larger than in Poland (9m vs 8m), the number of households having a dog is higher in Poland than in Spain.

The sculpture of the dog in the 1st picture reminded me of a sleeping pointer sculpture in the Warsaw Łazienki Royal Park, and… of my cats.

24/09/2024

Thank you very much for joining my yesterday livestream from Madrid. (BTW Hope you had a good time.) If you didn’t, the recording will remain public for a few days. I’m also planning to upload a video from other places in Madrid.
If you don’t subscribe to my channel yet, please do. Here’s the link: www.YouTube.com/

22/09/2024

Travel - such a great theme in movies, music, paintings. Like in this one here: Edward Hopper „Hotel Room” in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museo Nacional. Looking at it, I felt like it was me in a rather warm hotel room. The woman is holding a train timetable, I would read a Madrid guidebook.
Getting ready for tomorrow’s Livestream.