Across four unforgettable theatre productions, I had the profound honour of collaborating with the renowned Polish theatre, opera and film director Henryk Baranowski (1943–2013) — a visionary artist who left an enduring legacy in theatre, opera and cinema, both in Poland and internationally.

Baranowski directed more than 60 productions across Europe, Russia and the United States, and appeared in iconic films such as Dekalog: One by Krzysztof Kieślowski and Pan Tadeusz by Andrzej Wajda.

He was not only my mentor, but also a dear friend and a true soul mate in art — I swear we could read each other’s minds while working together.

What Henryk taught me

To work through fear.
To observe and listen.
To give everything, even when there’s nothing left.
To trust instinct.
To take risks.
To believe in the vision, even in the darkest hour.
And most of all –
There is no “impossible.”
Because impossible can be done with fire, with love, with madness, and with art.