Jesse Eisenberg picked up the Indie Star Award at Poland’s American Film Festival and met with the local audience to talk about sophomore directorial effort “A Real Pain.”
“Two years ago, I was finishing the script. You start the very embarrassing process of begging producers to give you money to make it. When they asked me how I’d describe the movie, I told them the same thing: ‘I want to make an American indie film, but in Poland,’” he said.
“I grew up doing American independent films and loving American independent films, but I didn’t want to make another version of this intimate American ‘buddy movie.’ What I was trying to tell these financiers was that there hasn’t been a movie like this, about these two guys exploring their past, but set against the backdrop of this amazing, beautiful country. I cannot think of a better audience and a better film festival to play this movie.”
In “A Real Pain,” starring Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy and Daniel Oreskes, two cousins head to Poland to explore their family’s roots and celebrate their late grandmother.
According to festival director Urszula Śniegowska, Eisenberg’s “talent and dedication have made an indelible mark on the film industry and his work continues to resonate and inspire across generations.”
She added: “His career has been one of range, depth and fearless exploration of characters. We fell in love with him early, when he starred in ‘The Squid and the Whale,’ establishing himself as an actor capable of portraying complex, thoughtful and sometimes troubled individuals.”
Roles in “Adventureland,” “Zombieland” and “The Social Network,” where he played Mark Zuckerberg, followed. “But it’s his dedication to independent cinema that truly sets him apart,” she stated, mentioning “Night Moves,” “The Art of Self-Defense” or “Sasquatch Sunset,” which “showcase his ability to dive deep into characters that live on the fringes of society and confront audiences with thought-provoking narratives. No wonder fellow actor Vanessa Redgrave praised Jesse Eisenberg for his ‘inquiring mind.’”
“Whether on screen or behind the camera, Jesse’s work reflects a truth that’s sometimes uncomfortable, often hilarious and always deeply affecting,” said Śniegowska.
Previously, the Indie Star Award was given to John Waters, Jerry Schatzberg, Todd Solondz or “Aftersun” producer Adele Romanski.
During a Q&A moderated by Variety, Eisenberg – who decided to apply for Polish citizenship – opened up about shooting “A Real Pain” in Poland and his family history.
“My grandfather was born in the U.S., but his cousins and uncles lived in [Polish town] Krasnystaw and they all died in horrible ways. He never told my father about it. I am a third-generation American Jew, I don’t know anything about history, but I became obsessed with it. Now, I have Polish citizenship,” he said.
“My hope with this movie is that everyone from any country is watching it, thinking: ‘I want to do the same thing. Why have I never asked my parents where they’re from, or where our name comes from?’ I hear this a lot from people.”
Originally, he was working on a story set in Mongolia – “The characters were going to live in yurts and it was pretty funny” – but a certain online ad changed it all.
“It said: ‘Auschwitz tours – with lunch.’ It’s such a weird idea, this tourism of tragedy. When I saw that, I threw out my Mongolia script and looked at the photos from my first visit to Poland in 2008. I realized this was the story.”
His characters aren’t always able to emotionally connect with what they’re witnessing. Neither was he.
“I remember feeling: ‘There’s nothing I can do to make myself connected to this trauma.’ What am I supposed to do? Cut my arm? There’s nothing you can do to feel what people felt in [concentration camp] Majdanek. I was standing in front of my family’s house, not having any kind of catharsis. I didn’t belong there anymore. I wanted them to have the same feeling.”
Eisenberg praised his Polish colleagues, led by producer Ewa Puszczyńska, commenting: “Emma Stone, who’s one of our producers, kept saying: ‘This is the most incredible crew.’ And she’s been on the greatest sets in the world.”
He’ll stick to personal stories in the future. “Everything I write is personal. My next movie is about musical theater in New Jersey, because it was something I liked. I’m always looking for anything in my life that happened to me that could be a story.”
He will also continue to blend comedy and tragedy.
“My background is in theater and I’ve been writing plays for 20 years. They are all like this, people just didn’t like them as much,” he said with a laugh. “I’m going to do that forever.”