Jan Laskowski
Cinematographer, director and screenwriter. He was born on February 10, 1928, in Piotrowice in the Vilnius region. A graduate of the Department of Cinematography at the Łódź Film School (1955). He started as a cameraman on films such as Człowiek na torze/Man on the Tracks (1956) by Andrzej Munk, Cień/Shadow (1956) by Jerzy Kawalerowicz and Pożegnania/Farewells (1958) by Wojciech Jerzy Has. As an independent cinematographer and co-director, he debuted with the poetic Ostatni dzień lata/Last Day of Summer (1958), which he made together with Tadeusz Konwicki. The main female role is played by his sister – Irena. The film won the Grand Prix at the Venice Film Festival.
Laskowski worked with the best directors and was the cinematographer for high-profile films: Pociąg/Night Train (1959) by Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Do widzenia, do jutra/Goodbye, Till Tomorrow (1961, award for cinematography at the Melbourne festival), Jowita (1967) by Janusz Morgenstern, and Bariera/Barrier (1966) by Jerzy Skolimowski. He worked with Andrzej Kondratiuk twice (Dziura w ziemi/Hole in the Ground and the comedy Wniebowzieci/The Ascended 1970, 1973) and with Stanisław Bareja (Poszukiwany, poszukiwana/Man – Woman Wanted, 1972 and Co mi zrobisz, jak mnie złapiesz/What Will You Do When You Catch Me?, 1978). He was also the cinematographer on the set of the musical comedy Halo Szpicbródka (1978) by Janusz Rzeszewski. The biographical film Lenin w Polsce/Lenin in Poland (1965), made in co-production with the Soviet Union with his cinematography, was distributed in huge numbers there.
He also directed the psychological drama Mężczyźni na wyspie/Men Alone On An Island (1962), with Irena Laskowska in the lead role. After the tragic death of Cybulski, he made the film Zbyszek (1969) devoted to the actor. He is also the author of a short music film dedicated to Ewa Demarczyk (1970). For several years, he was a director of animated films in collaboration with the graphic artist Mieczysław Piotrowski and made short films.
Brother of actress Irena Laskowska and production manager Jerzy Laskowski.
