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WAITERSGATE

NAGRANIA

By Konrad SZOLAJSKI

ZK STUDIO SP. Z O. O. - as PROD

Documentary - Development 2022

A reporter undertakes a journalistic investigation to examine if three waiters could topple the Polish government by eavesdropping on its ministers. Or was it a conspiracy with the Kremlin in the background – aiming at Poland and the whole of Eastern Europe?

- Year of production
- 2022
- Genres
- Documentary, Social issues
- Countries
- POLAND, NORWAY
- Languages
- POLISH
- Budget
- 0 - 0.3 M$
- Duration
- 52 mn
- Director(s)
- Konrad SZOLAJSKI
- Writer(s)
- Konrad SZOLAJSKI
- Producer(s)
- Malgorzata PROCIAK (ZK STUDIO SP. Z O. O.), Ingvild Aagedal SKAGE (ISME FILM)
- Synopsis
- It is possible that two waiters and their boss toppled liberal Polish government by eavesdropping its ministers and thus enabled a sudden right wing takeover of power? Or was it a conspiracy with the Kremlin in the background – aiming at Poland the whole Eastern Europe?
  This is an documentary about clandestine impact on a democratic state in which the society suddenly changes its political stand. It seems to be a model example of PSYOP – the psychological operations which convey selected information and indicators to audiences to influence their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning, and ultimately the behaviour of individuals, groups and the whole nation.
  Polish cabinet ministers were eavesdropped when they had meals in restaurants (the operation is nicknamed ‘Waitersgate’ as waiters did the recordings). They used to talk freely, carking jokes sometimes in a vulgar way, criticising and occasionally offending colleagues, Poland’s allies and Polish voters who could feel insulted – especially that the bills for the meals were covered with public money. The officials did not break the law but were reckless – they did not realize that the transcripts of their illegally recorded very frank conversations would flood Polish media and shock the public. A ferocious political media campaign cleverly executed brought down the pro-European government and gave power to the nationalist populist party PiS. The official investigation ended up only by conviction of a single perpetrator who is serving time as a scape goat.
  Independent journalists took over the inquiry and they claim it was a kind of coup d’état – the beneficiaries of which are: the currently ruling right wing party (which distances Poland from the EU) and Putin’s Russia. Are they silent allies? To prove this hypothesis they showed a lot of crumb trails (“presumptive evidence”) but none of the state institutions (intelligence, public prosecutor, parliament) is ready to re-open the investigation.
  Our documentary tell this story by checking the evidence by a professional team. It consists of independent experts such as: an ex public prosecutor, an ex-policeman and a private detective – supported by the investigative journalists. In the film we follow their steps – learning about the methods they use and the history and mechanism of eavesdropping and media exposure operation. They may not uncover the whole truth which could be used as evidence in a court trial, but they will show many convincing threads and expose the tools of political manipulation to the public opinion.
  The meaning of this story goes far beyond Poland. ‘Waitersgate’ is not only an investigative thriller - It is a parable about political manipulation which can happen anywhere, it is about gaining political influence by conducting illegal operations and using the openness of democracy through a media campaign. Look the UK, the US and other countries. To put it shortly: democracy is at stake. Will we be able to defend it?
- Partners & financing
- Creative Europe MEDIA development 25 000 EUR
  Fritt Ord Foundation 15 000 EUR
  SVT 8 000 EUR
  DR 4 000 EUR
  ERR 600 EUR
- Production schedule
- development 1 March 2019 - 30 January 2021
  shooting periods 1 February 2021 – 31 August 2021
  post-production 1 September 2021 – 15 January 2022
  rough cut 30.11.2021
  final work 16 January 2022 - 27 February 2022
  international premiere February 2022
- Beginning of shooting
- Feb 01, 2021
- End of shooting
- Aug 31, 2021