She played a party girl in “Vacation Diaries”. He says it’s a twist of fate [WYWIAD]

After a long break, the most recognizable para-documentary series in Poland, “Holiday Diaries”, has returned. The program has aroused extreme emotions over the years. Some were delighted with the cheerful work of the scriptwriters and the very expressive play of the natural actors. In turn, other viewers were outraged by the level of production and announced the decline of television.

Thirteen years after the first episode was broadcast, people in our country know this title perfectly. And no matter what feelings it once aroused, most people are aware that this type of programs on television around the world are now a standard. I would even go so far as to say that “Vacation Diaries” is no different from the content created on a daily basis by users of TikTok and other social media.

She found herself on the set in Gran Canaria somewhat by accident. “It was a twist of fate”

This modified para-documentary about the holiday idyll of vacationers from Poland now resembles more of a soap opera than a typical series of this type. Episodes are broadcast six days a week and in each of them we follow two different stories, continued for several consecutive days. Currently, the main characters of the series are the Kowalski family and the so-called party people, i.e. a group of young people who came to a luxurious villa in Gran Canaria to enjoy life.

One of the people who decided to take part in the project as an amateur actress is 25-year-old Anna Komarowska. In “Holiday Diaries” she plays the party girl Kasia, who causes quite a stir in the holiday crew. In an interview withkultura.gazeta.pl, she admitted that she found out about the search for people willing to play in the para-documentary completely by accident.

Last year I traveled with BlaBlaCar [serwis wspólnych przejazdów – przyp. red.]. It turned out that the driver was an actor and director. We added each other as friends on social media. In July, he posted an advertisement that he was looking for people who like to party and want to experience the adventure of a lifetime. Then I thought it was probably about me (laughter). He was looking for amateur actors for ‘Vacation Diaries’ who would start working in September in Gran Canaria. I immediately thought it was a coincidence, because I had a lot of free time this month. I sent the recording to the casting and they chose me.

The series was sometimes mocked by Internet users. His characters couldn’t be sure what to expect from the broadcast

In 2013, Piotr Wańko gained great recognition, as in several episodes he played the role of Henio, the husband of Beata, whose culinary specialty was “meat hedgehog”. As “Super Express” reported a year later, the man took his own life. “He couldn’t stand the pressure that arose after the broadcast and the wave of memes flooding the Internet,” wrote one of his friends. Although times have changed and many people want easy fame on social media, Ania was apprehensive about starting work on the set.

– I was a bit stressed because “Vacation Diaries” is somewhat of a crime series. I was afraid of other people’s opinions and the role they would offer me. Initially, I didn’t know who I would play and I didn’t have a chance to read the script. I could only rely on the information from the advertisement, according to which they were looking for partygoers. Later, when everything was clear, I was a bit afraid of the kissing scenes with my TV series boyfriend, but before the shooting started, we built a nice relationship, which allowed us to break the ice. However, in the back of my mind I still had the idea that my whole family would see it, she admitted.

However, after the first episodes were broadcast on television, she was most surprised by the fact that many of the scenes that were shot were not ultimately used. – This worried me a bit, because it leaves many things unsaid, in my opinion. My character may seem like someone who is just cheating on her boyfriend. Of course, I didn’t know how it would be put together, but I didn’t care. I preferred to treat it as some kind of surprise. I think that my arguments with my TV friend Martyna were the coolest. I’m positively surprised here. Overall, you can see that as a team we established a good rapport and tried to be natural, she said.

“This season is completely different from the previous ones.” And what are the viewers’ reactions?

Interestingly, after the episode is broadcast on TV, the actors in the latest “Holiday Diaries” organize live broadcasts on Facebook or Instagram, which, according to Ania, are a “summary of the episode.” During the “lives”, amateur actors discuss their feelings, and in the comments there are sometimes questions from the viewers of the series, to which the characters of the series always try to answer. I was curious if Ania, apart from broadcasts on social media, checks what people write about the new season.

Yes, I was curious how it would be received. And now I know that it’s not exactly what people expected from ‘Vacation Diaries’. This season is completely different from the previous ones. I knew it as soon as I read the script, but people might have thought it would be a repeat of ‘meat hedgehog’ entertainment. Our stories are based on the German series entitled ‘X-Diaries’, which is, in a way, the prototype of ‘The Diaries’. And although the script was adapted to Polish realities, the stories may seem a bit calmer than those from the previous series.

Ania also argues that until this dispute, she had not faced any hate for participating in the paradocumentary. – I think that Internet users simply hate the story more than specific characters. Some of them think that it is more boring compared to the Kowalski family. But I also read a few comments that, despite initial prejudices, for many people the story of the partygoers was developing nicely – she adds.

For many people, participating in a television program is a way to build recognition. Ania also has some hopes

It is also no secret that many people nowadays use participation in television programs to promote themselves and later become an influencer. This usually happens in the case of programs such as “Top Model”, “Love Island” or “Hotel Paradise”, but I couldn’t help but ask what Ania’s approach to this topic is. After all, her face is now watched by thousands of TV viewers.

I won’t hide the fact that I have some aspirations, because I’m crazy about social media, I work in a marketing agency where I also produce video content for clients. I would like to go further with this. Maybe ‘The Diaries’ will help me with that, but I’m not counting on it. So far, the series has only just started and I’m waiting to see what the viewers’ reactions will be. But I’m definitely not thinking about an acting career. My boyfriend in the series had more experience in this area and guided me properly before shooting. Although sometimes I still feel bad when I see some scenes. Mainly those with a lot of people. They were shot in one take and often without much preparation.

P.S. “Vacation Diaries” then and now – what is the difference?

In my opinion, the biggest difference between the old and new episodes of “Vacation Diaries” is that years ago the creators entertained with absurd situations that were shown in the most serious way possible. The new series is more reminiscent of the work of YouTubers (e.g. Team X), where irrationality is treated as something normal. This type of content has been very popular among children and teenagers for years.

And the new “Diaries” are full of strange situations, but the action does not stop. The dynamics are so great that we don’t even have a moment to think about what has happened. These feelings are also intensified by the cheerful background music and quite specific captions on the famous strips, which are supposed to be funny.

The change in the place of emission is also important here. Once upon a time, the para-documentary was shown on Polsat and was broadcast on weekend afternoons. Now it is broadcast in the evenings by its sister station TV4, which has been definitely targeting its program at a younger audience for some time now.