Joanna Ratajczak. A Berlin polyphony
One year that lasted two decades: taking the plunge in Berlin
Joanna’s story in Germany began almost like something from a screenplay – with a mix of resolution and pure chance. In 2002, having just turned 22, she had already completed her degree in political science and journalism, thanks to her immense discipline reaching this milestone one year ahead of schedule. This “gained” year was supposed to be one of freedom, a big experiment and journey, a chance to take a deep breath before entering adult life proper.
She came for one night from Poznań to Berlin to celebrate new year, but behind this spontaneous decision was a deeper, existential need. The German capital, with its promise of radical freedom, beneficial anonymity, and ever-present creative dynamism fascinated her immediately. What was intended as a brief stay and well-earned reward for her intensive university studies unexpectedly turned into a journey of more than twenty years and which continues to this day.
Joanna entered this new reality without any safety net: She spoke no German and had no contacts to draw on. However, she had the curiosity and courage to find out who she could be in this place where nobody prescribed her a role and where she herself had to determine the limits of her freedom. Berlin was not just a new address for her; it became a testing ground where she began to completely reshape her identity.
The rhythm of freedom: New York laurels and Berlin nights
Before Joanna Ratajczak picked up a camera, her world was fully defined by sound. Her fascination for the German language, which she at first found difficult and alien, developed unexpectedly quickly. Just three years after arriving in Berlin, Joanna moderated her own radio programme at the legendary station JazzRadio Berlin. As a radio moderator she specialised in Brazilian jazz, a style of music that is both challenging and intoxicating, and quickly gained the respect of the demanding Berlin public.
However, her radio show was just the tip of the iceberg. Alongside her studio work, she dived deep into Berlin’s legendary nightlife. As a DJ in Berlin clubs she helped set the city’s pulse, and as a moderator of Polish-German cultural events she built a bridge between the two cultures. This multitasking – microphone, turntable, and stage – meant she could build up a unique social and artistic network. This phase peaked in 2013, when her original programme won the Bronze Medal at the prestigious New York Radio Awards.
Her success in New York confirmed her position in the media landscape, though for the artist herself it provided a moment of self-reflection. While she had perfected the art of storytelling through sound, she still had a deep and unfulfilled desire for images, and for a film that would allow her to combine the rhythm of music with the power of visual storytelling.
School of life: between motherhood and editorial work at the RBB
Major personal challenges in Joanna Ratajczak’s life have often, paradoxically, provided the impetus for her artistic development. Aged 29, when all her energy and dreams were focused on the entrance exam at the renowned film university in Babelsberg, she discovered that she was pregnant. The decision to become a mother and the necessity of providing for herself and her child meant that her dreams of the big screen and studying directing would have to be postponed indefinitely.
However, what at first seemed like an enforced break turned out to be her most important and intensive “film school”. Joanna found her creative refuge in the editorial department of the show “Kowalski & Schmidt” at the German public broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB). Under the tutelage of the famous TV journalists and editors Krzysztof Czajka and Petra Liedschreiber, she threw herself into documentary film work. Joanna honed her directing skills while working on day-to-day productions. During her time at the RBB, she produced almost 200 reports and her own series of documentary films.
However, her technical skill and unique perspective meant that she could soon move beyond short formats and was able to produce more ambitious, longer documentary films, including for the joint association of Germany’s regional public-service broadcasters ARD. Each of these projects was a lesson: how do you gain the trust of a protagonist, how do you leave out superfluous words in order to preserve pure emotion, and how do you convey the complex reality of German-Polish relations on film? Joanna’s work gained attention, and on multiple occasions was nominated for the German-Polish Tadeusz Mazowiecki Journalism Prize, which in the public media landscape is seen as clear proof of the work’s credibility and sensibility.
Over time, however, Joanna felt that the rigid rules and tempo of television were increasingly limiting. The stories she wanted to tell required more time, deeper metaphors, and a stillness that was alien to the newsroom. This feeling that she was no longer artistically satisfied in the TV medium coincided with a significant change in her private life, as her son grew up and became an independent young man. Joanna recognised that she had achieved all she could in the realm of editorial work.
Back to her roots: Polish documentary film school and lessons from the master
As the structures of German public service broadcasting no longer matched her vision, Joanna asked herself the key question: Where to go from here? The answer was clear: Poland. The reason was her long-standing fascination with the Polish documentary film school. For Joanna, Polish documentary cinema, with its great attention to detail and psychological depth, represented a cultural reference point that she felt was missing from the fast-moving Berlin media world.
In 2018 she decided to go all in, and successfully applied to study at the renowned Wajda School in Warsaw. It was a groundbreaking decision. She was one of nine students selected, and in particular gained the opportunity to study under Marcel Łoziński, a legend of international documentary filmmaking.
At the Wajda School Joanna realised that her background – her years of working with sound in radio, hundreds of hours in the cutting rooms of RBB and ARD, her experience with migration and her life as a single mother – were not an obstacle. On the contrary, this background represented a “treasure trove” that made her into a mature, confident filmmaker with her own, independent voice. Under Łoziński’s mentorship, she began to free herself from the habits acquired from working in television and adopt a more patient approach suited to film. The foundation was laid for her full-length film debut “Trust Me”, which combined echoes of the Polish documentary film school with the courage to deal with difficult topics typical of the Berlin scene.
“Trust Me”: the price of emancipation on HBO and ARTE
Her full-length documentary film debut “Trust Me” is the result of six years of challenging work, often under difficult conditions and with limited means. The film tells the story of a Polish-German couple that tests the limits of their relationship by exploring polyamory. However, Joanna Ratajczak avoids cheap sensationalism. Her main interest is in the profound experience of women: the difficult path to self-discovery, the process of liberation from enforced cultural norms, and the high price that is often paid for authenticity.
The breakthrough was achieved in 2024 when the film premiered at the renowned film festival DOK.fest München. “Trust Me” then toured the world and won prizes and critical acclaim for its intimacy and honesty. The film’s success was confirmed in 2025, when it premiered on HBO Max and was also broadcast on the German-French channel ARTE, reaching a broad audience in both countries.
Maturity as a new strength: moving towards action
Now that her son is grown up, Joanna Ratajczak finally has the freedom to focus fully on film. Her story shows that the path to artistic expression does not have to be a straight one, and that life’s twists and turns can become a valuable creative resource. She shows that a migrant woman can break through the glass ceiling and that her “accent” – this unique Polish-German perspective, rooted in Poznań, Berlin and Warsaw – enriches European culture with new facets.
In 2025 Joanna returned to the Wajda School to develop her first feature film under the guidance of the masters. This is a further natural step in her development – the transition from a documentary observation of life to the creation of her own cinematic world.
Agnieszka Debska, May 2026
More on Joanna Ratajczak:
www.laralurex.com
www.deutschland.de/de/topic/kultur/joanna-ratajczak-im-interview-ueber-film-jazz-und-berlin
More on the film “Trust Me”:
www.instagram.com/trust_me_film2025
