POLISH FILM ACADEMY

Director, screenwriter, cinematographer. He was born August 16, 1933, in Łódź. A graduate of the Warsaw University of Technology (1955), followed by the Department of Cinematography (diploma in 1959) and the Directing Department (1962, diploma in 1967) of the Film School in Łódź. He started out as a sound engineer. During his time at film school, he made a student film Portret mężczyzny z medalem/Portrait of A Man With A Medal (1959) which won several awards abroad.

His debut feature film was the spectacular Żywot Mateusza/Life of Matthew (1967), based on the novel by the Norwegian writer Tarjei Vesaas, with an unforgettable performance of Francis Pieczka in the title role. The exquisitely composed story of an oversensitive man, perceived by those around him to be mentally underdeveloped, is remarkably powerful, yet simple. The film received many awards, including the Grand Prix at the festival in Colombo, in Valladolid, and at the International Youth Film Festival in Cannes. The cinematographer on the set of Żywot Mateusza/Life of Matthew was Andrzej Kostenko, later a frequent collaborator of the director. Together, they made the intimate personal psychological drama Rewizja osobista/Revision (1972), which received mixed reviews. In his Rekolekcje/Spiritual Exercises (1977), Leszczyński addressed personal themes to which he would return many years later in Requiem (2001, Special Jury Award at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia), and Stary człowiek i pies/An Old Man and A Dog (2008). Another acclaimed and award-winning film of his (including the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Festival of Polish Feature Films in Gdansk, as well as Vevey and Havgesund) was Konopielka (1981), based on the novel by Edward Redlinski, in which traditional village life is confronted with the first heralds of modernity. The role of the simple peasant – Kaziuk – is superbly played by Krzysztof Majchrzak. Also another film, Siekierezada/Axiliad (1985), a poetic adaptation of Edward Stachura’s prose, featuring the outstanding performance of Edward Żentara, was awarded with the Grand Prix at the Polish Film Festival in Gdansk. In 1993, the director returned to his fascination with Scandinavian themes, making Kolos/Colossus.

In the 1970s, he made two documentaries, including Życie po szwedzku/Swedish Life (1974). He was also the DoP on the set of Pełnia/Full Moon by Andrzej Kondratiuk (1979); in the 1960s, he worked as a cameraman on the Swedish film The Forgotten Europe (1966) and the Danish Man Who Invented the Crime (1966).

In 1997, he started teaching at the State Film School in Łódź. In 1995, he was awarded the Honorary “Jańcio” Award at the National Film Festival ”Prowincjonalia”.

In 2007, he began filming the personal Stary człowiek i pies/An Old Man and A Dog. On the set, on the third day of filming, he suffered a massive stroke and was hospitalised soon after. The film was finished by Andrzej Kostenko. Witold Leszczynski died on September 1, 2007, in Łódź.

Beata Pieńkowska