It came as more than a little bit of a surprise Wednesday when a critical source in the documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired said he'd fabricated his story about judicial misconduct in Roman Polanksi's rape case. Polanski supporters swung back as predicted, speculating about the strange timing of David Wells's announcement and theorizing about what (or who) turned him over while Polanski battles extradition in Switzerland. Wanted and Desired filmmaker Marina Zenovich was especially curious, and she put her thoughts about the matter in writing today. Her statement follows the jump.
I am perplexed by the timing of David Wells' statement to the press that he lied in his interview with me for the documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired. Since June of 2008, the film has been quite visible on U.S. television via HBO, in theaters and on DVD, so it is odd that David Wells has not brought this issue to my attention before.
For the record, on the day I filmed Mr. Wells at the Malibu Courthouse, February 11, 2005, he gave me a one-hour interview. He signed a release like all my other interviewees, giving me permission to use his interview in the documentary worldwide. At no time did I tell him that the film would not air in the United States.
Mr. Wells was always friendly and open with me. At no point in the four years since our interview has he ever raised any issues about its content. In fact, in a July 2008 story in The New York Times, Mr. Wells corroborated the account of events that he gave in my film.
I am astonished that he has now changed his story. It is a sad day for documentary filmmakers when something like this happens.
Can't argue with that. But look on the bright side, Marina: Your fiction breakthrough is fantastic.