The priests banned watching “Szamanka”. Iwona Petry became a victim of ¯u³awski’s film and escaped from Poland

The film “Szamanka” turned out to be one of the most controversial Polish films of the 1990s. Brave erotic scenes and violence were not only a challenge for the viewers, but above all for Iwona Petra herself. The young actress had to face demanding scenes that often exceeded the limits of her mental comfort. According to rumors, the director abused her on the set, which had an impact on her emotional state.

A wave of speculation and a media campaign

Bogus³aw Linda did not appear at the premiere of “Szamanka”, but it was the absence of Iwona Petra that caused more noise. The media began to spread rumors about her alleged stay in a Tibetan monastery or in a center for the mentally ill. The actress became a victim, which affected her mental health. In interviews, she mentioned that people saw her only as a sex object, not as an artist.

After the premiere of the film, Petry decided to leave Poland. She went to London, and later to New York and Milan, where she worked as a model, waitress and nanny. Although she tried to return to acting, She was mainly offered undressed roleswhich confirmed her belief that the film industry perceived her only through the prism of her role in “Shaman”.

Return to Poland and unsuccessful career attempts

In 1998, Iwona Petry returned to Poland, posing for bold photos for “Playboy”which was supposed to be an attempt to remember oneself and gain distance from the past. Despite this, her acting career did not gain momentum again. She married the journalist Marcin Źrałek, wrote a collection of short stories “The Yellow Cabinet” and started working on a novel, which, however, was not published. In 2006, Petry graduated in art history from the University of Warsaw. Her marriage did not stand the test of time.

Attempts to understand and forgive

Many years had to pass before Iwona Petry could openly talk about Andrzej Żuławski and her role in “Szamanka”. In one of the interviews, she admitted that she forgave the director, although she did not get rid of all negative emotions. “I feel sorry for him that he sees the world this way. It all comes down to sexuality“- she confessed in an interview with Gala.

Reflections on the past

Petry often mentions that her experience on the set of “Shaman” was extremely difficult and could be more suitable for an older, more experienced person. “When I started filming, I was 20 years old. At that age you don’t have much life experience yet. So I entered the set as a rather naive girl, and a few months later I left it as an experienced woman.” – she said in one of the interviews.

Iwona Petry does not rule out that in the future she will write a book in which she will tell the whole truth about her experiences with “Szamanka”. Although she was devastated by one role and the rumors that accompanied it, Petry tries to find peace and a new path in life, focusing on her passion for art history away from the spotlight and media noise.