POLISH FILM ACADEMY

Director, writer. He was born on June 23, 1933, in Lviv. Graduate of the University of Krakow (1958) and the Directing Department of the Film School in Łódź (diploma in 1964). At first, he made documentaries, using different styles (reportage, staged and classical documentary, or documentary impression). He focused on the individual or collective hero, with particular emphasis on the youth. Later, he used his experience as a documentary filmmaker in his feature films.

He made his debut in 1971 with the film Trąd/Leprosy, which addressed criminal issues. Later, he directed Zapis zbrodn/Crime (1974), a fictionalised documentary thriller which won a number awards, including the Grand Prix of the Jury at the Festival of Polish Feature Films in Gdansk and the FIPRESCI award at the festival in Mannheim. In the 1970s, he alternately made documentaries and feature films. His psychological film Skazany/The Convict (1975), was a para-documentary story with a wonderful performance by Zdzisław Kozień (acting award at festivals in Gdansk and in San Sebastian) and it won the Grand Prix at the festival in Varna and the award for best screenplay at the festival in Gdansk. Three years later, he made his most famous film, Gdziekolwiek jesteś panie prezydencie /...Wherever you are, Mr. President... (1978), devoted to Stefan Starzyński, the mayor of Warsaw in the first days of the Second World War, for which he won the Grand Prix at the festival in Cordoba and the Special Jury Award at the festival in Gdansk. Inspired by the anti-drug activities of the Monar, he directed a film about juvenile drug addicts …Jestem przeciw/... I'm Against (1985), which won the Main Jury Award at the Polish Film Festival in Gdansk.

He is also the author of many outstanding documentaries on famous figures, including Pope John Paul II. In 1979, he made Papież z Polski /The Polish Pope, about the inauguration of his pontificate, Pielgrzym/The Pilgrim (on behalf of the Polish Episcopate) – a recording of the Pope’s first pilgrimage to Poland, and in 1996 – Pontyfikat /The Pontificate – a multifaceted look at the activity of the Polish Pope. A year later, he shot a documentary biography Pułkownik Kukliński/Colonel Kukliński (1997), devoted to the career of the title character.

He also directed an eight-part paradocumentary series Marszałek Piłsudski/Marshal Piłsudski (2001). He confirmed his interest in history directing Kontrontacja/The Confrontation (2005), about the first months of Solidarity, and Ballada o prawdziwym kłamstwie/Ballad of a True Lie (2007), about communist propaganda. He also worked for the Television Theatre.

In 1991, he was elected chairman of the Polish Federation of Film Clubs. At the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia, he received the Special Award for Lifetime Achievement (2012).

He was awarded the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for his outstanding contribution to Polish culture and for his achievements in film (2013).