Jesse Eisenberg granted Polish citizenship following ‘A Real Pain’ victory at Oscars
After his movie, A Real Pain, was recognised at the Academy Awards on March 2nd, Jesse Eisenberg has now been granted Polish citizenship.
Eisenberg first discussed his desire to become a Polish citizen last year, and his Oscar-winning movie was filmed in the Eastern European country. His family originated from Poland but were forced to flee the country due to the Holocaust.
In A Real Pain, Eisenberg plays the grandchild of a Holocaust survivor who travels to Poland with his cousin, portrayed by Kieran Culkin, to reconnect with their roots following the death of their grandmother.
Eisenberg was inspired to write the movie following the death of a relative in 2019 who moved to America in 1938. He also lost several family members to the Holocaust who didn’t leave the country.
In a citizenship ceremony, Eisenberg explained how filming A Real Pain enhanced his relationship with Poland, stating, “While we were filming this movie in Poland, and I was walking the streets and starting to get a little more comfortable in the country, something so obvious occurred to me, which is that my family had lived in this place for far longer than we lived in New York. And of course, the history ended so tragically.”
Eisenberg continued: “In addition to that tragedy of history is also the tragedy that my family didn’t feel any connection any more to Poland, and that saddened me and confirmed for me that I really wanted to try to reconnect as much as possible. And I really hope that tonight in this ceremony and this amazing honour is the first step of me, and on behalf of my family, reconnecting to this beautiful country.”
Additionally, President Duda said: “I am delighted that people from across the ocean acknowledge their heritage, recognise that their ancestors hail from the Republic [of Poland] and seek to forge a connection with our country.”
For A Real Pain, Eisenberg was nominated in the ‘Best Original Screenplay’ category at the Academy Awards and his co-star, Kieran Culkin, scooped the Oscar for ‘Best Supporting Actor’.
In a five-star review, Far Out wrote of the film: “A Real Pain masterfully blends both humour and darkness, striking a perfect balance in the grey area between both that reflects our reluctance to fully confront the darkness, either hiding behind a socially acceptable pain or ignoring the suffering that desperately demands our attention.
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