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10
Maria
andsheoftenendedhere-mailstomewiththetitleofanAmerican
film,Seaoflove!
MymostvividmemoriesofMariaarethedinnerswithmymother-a
Polish-JewishHolocaustsurvivorofAuschwitzandBergen-Belsen–
andme.WeoftentookhertoaManhattanrestaurantcalledDMiss
Elle’sHomesickBarandGrill”on79thStreetandBroadway,where
thefoodwasquintessentiallyAmerican.Mariafeltclosetomymother,
withwhomshespokePolish;later,shealwaysaskedaboutmymother
ine-mails.
InAugustof2011,IcontactedAgnieszkaHolland–aboutwhose
filmsshewrotesoeloquently–becauseIheardthatMariahaddied.
Sheconfirmedthesadnews,andendedhernotewithsentimentsthat
sumupMaria’slife:DShewasverybrave,independent,generous,with
anenthusiasticspirit.TefilmstudentsinLodzlovedher”.
BecauseMariawroteeloquentlyabouthowHasexpresseshis
particulartimeandplace,herworkisrequiredreadinginmyPolish
CinemaclassatColumbiaUniversity.DLikemanyartistsofthesecond
halfofthetwentiethcentury,inheritorsofthewar,hewascontaminated
bydeath”,shewrote.DFromthewar,hebroughtasenseoftheabsurd,
deepenedbyFrenchexistentialism.Hisfilmsspeakofevanescence,
whosebaseis(thedramaturgyofdeath’”.
EvanescenceisafittingwordformythoughtsaboutMaria’s
vivaciousintelligence:shehasvanishedfromourphysicalworld,but
notourmemories.
NewYork,July2019
