History of the show
„Ktokolwiek widział, ktokolwiek wie...”
I have been thinking about a show which would deal with the issues of missing persons for many years. My friends discouraged me from the idea of dealing with such difficult matters. They all used to say “ who will be following the traces of the missing persons, who will be looking for them? There more doubts than just those. I used to ask myself a question : “ What will happen if none of the missing persons is found?” I was afraid that I will give hope, sometimes grievance, and perhaps even resentment for an unsolved case.”
However, in the year 1994, after reading an article by Wojciech Tochman in Gazeta Wyborcza titled “I have lost a man”, I was sure that such show had to be made. In May 1996 I met Wojciech Tochman for the first time. After our meeting we knew we will be dealing with the cases of missing persons for many years to come.
The concept of the show was quite simple from the beginning : a short film about a missing person, interview with a family
of another missing person, a few photos of people whose families did not give their consent to be shown on TV, either through
a short film or a studio interview, a short chat with an expert such as psychologist, physician, policeman, social worker
or a carer of homeless people etc.
Within the next few years we have worked out our own concept of the show, which allows us to present 6 to 14 missing person
cases per show. The show had its premiere on Channel 1 of Polish TV in September 1996. Until September 2001 the show was
aired once a month, and as of October of the same year until now – twice a month. Wojciech Tochman was the host of the show
in the years 1996 - 2001, he was then succeeded by Anna Pawłowska, which hosted the show for another year, and as of November
2002 the show is hosted by Grzegorz Miśtal.
Thanks to the show, the families know how to commence the search on their own. Who to notify, where to ask and how to
check information regarding missing persons. They know what to do if if in the house there is a person suffering from depression,
or in the first stages of the Altzhaimer’s disease or simply disabled or ill. That is also a considerate success of the
show.
Andrzej Minko
autor i producent
