Tiraspol, May, 7. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. Earlier we talked about journalists from Germany who were preparing a report on Bavarian cows in one of the farms of the Rybnitsa district. A few weeks later, film crew from the Russian First Channel arrived in Pridnestrovie. In early May, bloggers from Poland visited the republic and decided to make a documentary about Pridnestrovians of Polish origin. Novosti Pridnestrovya talked about the concept of the film, the director's intention and the perception of our country by the EU residents with the leader of the foreign bloggers team.
In the cafe, where we agreed to meet them, we were waited by a tall young man with a big smile who introduced himself as Stephen Thompson. He is a film director. In proper English, which is being spoken only in foggy Albion, he asked what language we would communicate in.
“I understand a little in Russian, but, unfortunately, I don’t speak myself,” he explained.
It turned out that though Stephen lives in Poland, he was born and raised in England. During the Second World War, his family was forced to move to the UK. This explains how he has such a pleasant British accent and Anglo-Saxon last name.
Our conversation with Thompson began with impressions of Pridnestrovie. During his five-day visit, he managed to visit not only the most visited by tourists Bendery and Tiraspol, but also the north of Pridnestrovie - villages of Rashkovo and Sloboda-Rashkovo. It is in these localities that the heritage of Polish culture is preserved.
The blogger says that PMR is a very unusual place. Without waiting for the question of what he meant, Thompson explains: its unusualness is expressed in the crossroads of cultures and mentalities, which our country is.
“This place is unusual because, on the one hand, it carries elements of the post-Soviet space, but, on the other hand, it is part of Europe. There is a connection with Russia. But at the same time, most people with European thinking live in Pridnestrovie, and there are elements of Western culture everywhere: aesthetics of public places serves as an example,” he says.
When asked what made him visit PMR, Stephen named three reasons. The first one is the international non-recognition of the state.
“I had several reasons why I decided to come here and make a documentary. First, is its lack of recognition. It attracts people, they find it unusual and interesting to visit a place that is not recognized by the world. Of course, I understand that it is a tragedy for Pridnestrovians. But this fact can attract tourists,” Thompson explained.
The second reason: the project of a documentary about Pridnestrovian Poles - descendants of the Polish Commonwealth nationals, which included the northern regions of Pridnestrovie in the XVI - XVIII centuries.
“I decided to make a film about the Poles who live in Pridnestrovie. Three hundred years ago, the northern part of the republic belonged to the Polish Commonwealth. And now there are people on the territory of Pridnestrovie who recognize themselves as Polish,” Stephen said.
And finally, the third reason is the multinationality of the country.
“The way people who belong to at least 45 nationalities get along peacefully here is very interesting. This is something we should learn from you,” Thompson noted with admiration.
All three themes will be the basis of the film concept. The material has already been collected and, as Stephen promises, in a few weeks we will be able to watch a documentary about Pridnestrovie and its Poles on the YouTube blogger channel.
Julia Barinova
