I’ve had some time to revisit the footage I shot in Poland back in 2009 to create a short film called Heart of Europe. I had traveled to Poland to see the talented photographer and adventurer Tom Panasiak with the hopes of filming a trailer to obtain funding for a feature documentary on the exotic history of Poland. We found ourselves filming in back alleys, castles and family members. I remember one particular moment where, after taking a long train ride and horse buggy to the beautiful mountainside area with heavy equipment, that one of our essential pieces of equipment had a drained battery with a charger that is incompatible with eastern bloc standards. Tom, after a moment of rage, decided to create his own electrical converter through a paper clip. He used his hands and stuck it in a wall and surprisingly, after several sparks, it began to charge. Several hours later, we had a charged battery and we were able to successfully complete the shoot

Mark M.