Warsaw in a Hollywood production
The capital is enchanting in the award-winning film ‘A Real Pain’. The city was depicted in a picturesque way as a blend of history and modernity. Jesse Eisenberg, the director, screenwriter and lead actor, has emphasised in interviews that he was captivated by the architecture of Warsaw, which combines the old and the new, often side by side. Buildings bearing traces of wartime destruction stand next to modern glass skyscrapers—and this is just the combination he wanted to show in a single shot.
Beautiful compositions by Fryderyk Chopin can be heard in the film. Jesse Eisenberg admits that he planned from the outset to use the Polish composer’s works in the production. Hence, right from the writing of the script, he assigned specific passages to individual scenes. On the set, they were played back to the camera operator, as a result of which the camera movements perfectly harmonised with the tempo of the music. This approach made classical music an integral part of the story. It is worth noting that Kieran Culkin received an Oscar for his work in the film ‘A Real Pain’, also to the sounds of Chopin’s music.
Scenes on the streets of Warsaw
The film was shot in several Polish cities, including Warsaw. During their sentimental journey, the places the main characters visit include Muranów—before the war, a vibrant part of Warsaw inhabited mostly by Jews. David and Benji Kaplan want to see the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, standing next to the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Another discernable symbol is the Palace of Culture and Science, an inseparable element of the city panorama, visible from almost anywhere in Warsaw. Also depcited is the area around Grzybowski Square, which in the interwar period was inhabited mainly by the Jewish population. Currently, Grzybowski Square is a venue for concerts, exhibitions, and festivals, as well as being a gastronomic paradise for gourmets.
In another scene, the main characters pose for photos at the imposing Warsaw Uprising Monument, which stands on Krasiński Square. Huge, bronze figures of soldiers run out from under concrete blocks, while others stand at the entrance to the sewers. The monument is one of the city’s most important tourist sites. There were also shots filmed at Central Station, a symbol of a bygone era, which this year celebrates its half-century.
Warsaw still has much more to explore
In interviews, the Oscar-winning Kieran Culkin mentioned that in the time he managed to spare for visiting Warsaw with his wife and children during the making of the film, he was greatly impressed by the amazing green areas. In this category, Warsaw is number one in the world for his family!
It is very pleasing to see Warsaw’s famous tourist attractions shown in a Hollywood production, but it should be emphasised that they are only a small part of the capital’s broad tourist appeal. It is worth mentioning that Warsaw has a very rich calendar of cultural events, regardless of the season, and an impressive culinary offer that will delight any food lover. The production was co-financed by the Mazovia Warsaw Film Commission Mazovian and Warsaw Film Fund.
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