“Year of the Pandemic” by Stefańczyk Studio is a film that was made over twelve months. It is a documentary about fear, heroism, mourning and the fight against a previously unknown disease.

– Having worked in the media for 17 years, I had never seen a situation like this – says Andrzej Stefańczyk. – When the country was shaken by images of police officers in protective suits stopping a couple near Lwówek who were travelling to Bolesławiec, it was another moment when I realized that things were truly dangerous. That was when I decided to collect material for this documentary and see what would come of it – the author adds.

What emerged was a good documentary. It shows the real changes the hospital underwent and conveys the emotions accompanying the rise in infections.

– The doctors’ and nurses’ statements are valuable in the film because, for the first time, they speak honestly about that difficult period – says Stefańczyk. – They talk about what they felt then and what it was like when it suddenly turned out that nurses from the internal medicine ward had to become anesthesiology nurses, while gynecologists and surgeons had to become infectious disease specialists. And suddenly so many people were dying. There were strong emotions. At first, no one knew what was happening or how to treat COVID-19. There was panic. Some people were afraid even to look toward the hospital so they would not become infected, let alone work there. I admire the people who decided to work inside the building. I am referring to the renovation work that was carried out and the reconstruction of the internal medicine ward, where airlocks had to be installed. No one knew how to deal with the virus. The hospital was not adapted for it; it had barely a dozen beds in a small infectious disease ward. It was a difficult operation logistically, involving difficult and often unpopular decisions. I observed it all, and I believe that one can agree with many things and disagree with many others, but the staff managed to cope – says Stefańczyk.

Andrzej Stefańczyk’s documentary premieres today. Congratulations to the author on a good film.