- Many film directors (especially those with no theatrical experience) see actors as aliens. It seems impossible to give them even the simplest information. Or, on the other hand, they seem to be stubborn creatures, creating obstacles and deliberately refusing to understand simple commands, says Udayan Prasad, and this is the starting point for workshops where the relationship between directors and actors is at the centre.

Udayan Prasad is an Indian-born film and television director, known for his from the films "Brothers in trouble", "My fanatic son", or "The yellow handkerchief" with William Hurt and Kristen Stewart in the lead roles. When he is free from his work on film sets, he gives lectures and workshops at film schools, including among others, the London Film School and NFTS in Beaconsfield, UK.

The director tries to explore the mystery of communication difficulties between directors and actors on film sets.  
- I suspect the answer is very simple. Those of us who didn't come to film from the theatrical background often spend a lot of time and attention using and learning about the machinery and its 'hardware' - the camera. We do this because it seems obvious that in order to learn the language of cinema, one should focus on mastering its main tool. And then there is sound, set-design, colours, costumes, make-up, prosthetics, pyrotechnics! Not to mention the editing. It's all so incredibly technical and complicated. As for the actors, well, it’s no big deal to play being angry or sad or calm or happy or crazy - exactly in the way it’s said in the script. Why can't they just deliver their lines and walk from one place to another without a big sulk? – asks Udayan Prasad rhetorically, inviting us to several days of work on mutual communication and understanding between directors and actors. 

Workshop participants
Film directing students: Franciszek Berbeka, Jakub Gomółka, Jakub Jakubik, Filip Jakubowski, Agnieszka Kalińska, Michalina Medyńska, Artem Rachkelyuk, Aleksandra Góralewska and Jakub Grabarczyk, Acting students: Viktoria Gorodeckaja, Konrad Eleryk, Agnieszka Duleba-Kasza, Michał Grzybowski, Dorota Łukasiewicz-Kwietniewska, Dobromir Dymecki and Piotr Głowacki.

ed. Jolanta Karpińska
photos Anna Kazimierczak