Marcin Dorociński on the set of "Jack Strong", dir. Władysław Pasikowski, photo: Marcin Makowski / www.makufly.com
The former U.S. National Security Advisor has paid a visit to the set of Jack Strong to watch the filming of a scene depicting a crucial meeting between himself and Ryszard Kukliński in the 1990s
The new film directed by Wladysław Pasikowski, presenting the life of the Polish army colonel and CIA agent known by the alias Jack Strong, is currently filming in the U.S. capitol. According to a spokesperson for producer Scorpio Studio, Brzeziński's meeting with Krzysztof Pieczyński, the actor playing him in the film, was "very moving". He had been in close contact with Kukliński until his death in 2004 and considered him "a true hero. His motives were absolutely anti-Soviet".
Kukliński's actions have made him both a traitor to communism and a hero for democracy. He delivered over 40,000 pages of sensitive documents from the Soviet authorities to the U.S. government in the late 1970s, when Brzeziński was serving as National Security Advisor. Brzeziński consulted on the film's script, along with CIA agents and analysts, and the former Polish ambassador in Washington, D.C., Jerzy Koźminski.
While most of the film takes place in Poland, major scenes from Kukliński's activities on behalf of the CIA were filmed in Washington, D.C. The height of the action takes place during the heated times of the Cold War, with the administrations of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Aris Pappas, an analyst for the CIA who reviewed Kukliński's reports without being aware of his identity, also consulted on the film. He met Kukliński in November 1981, when Kukliński and his family were brought to the U.S. from Poland for security reasons. Pappas paid a visit to the film set, as he had maintained contact with Kukliński. He stated, "Kukliński was such a valuable source that even later on [when already in the U.S.] he worked for us, helped us understand the activities of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviets".
Patrick Wilson, who plays David Forden, the former chief of the CIA's Warsaw Station, shared his impressions of the production with the Polish Press Agency (PAP),
I think that Americans can also be an audience for the film. Of course, it's difficult for all foreign films to break through, but I'll do everything I can to promote this film as it's a real history of patriotism and heroism.
The film's premiere in Poland is slated for February 2014.
Editor: AL
Source: PAP, thenews.pl