Ryszard Bugajski

Ryszard Bugajski(27 April 1943 – 7 June 2019)was a Polishfilm directorandscreenwriter.He directed 23 films and television shows since 1972. His 1982 filmInterrogationstarringKrystyna JandaandAdam Ferency,described as "the mostanti-Communistfilm in the history ofPolish People's Republic"was entered into the1990 Cannes Film Festivalafter being suppressed by the Polish communist authorities for several years.

Ryszard Bugajski
Born	(1943-04-27)27 April 1943 Warsaw,Poland
Died	7 June 2019(2019-06-07)(aged 76) Warsaw,Poland
Education	National Film School in Łódź
Occupation(s)	Film director, screenwriter
Years active	1972–2019
Spouse	Maria Mamona

Life and career

He was born on 27 April 1943 inGerman-occupied Poland.His family was slated to be killed by firing squad, but a bomb fell before the wall they were lined up to be shot that saw the squad killed instead. His father was Edward Bugajski, a member of the pre-warPolish Socialist Party(PPS). He had told his family to hide in a safe place, which led to them staying in suburban Warsaw in a place called Choszczowka. Bugajski had numerous interests as a youth, initially aspiring to become a musician, but he later thought he would become a painter. However, he did not know exactly what he wanted to be by the time he graduated high school. He studiedphilosophyat theUniversity of Warsawfor three years, but an accidental viewing of8½spurred him into wanting to become a filmmaker.He was accepted into studyingdirectingat theNational Film School in Łódź,which he graduated from in 1973.

In 1976, he joined theX Film Unitmanaged byAndrzej Wajda,where he directed the filmsA Woman and a WomanandClasses.In 1981, he made the full-length feature filmInterrogation,which was banned by the communist censorship because of the film's message being incompatible with the political line of the Polish authorities after the imposition ofmartial law.As a result of this, the X Unit was officially dissolved.In 1985, Bugajski decided to emigrate to Canada where he became a director of populartelevision series.The official premiere ofInterrogationtook place in December 1989, after thecollapse of communismin Poland. He had kept the film alive in the underground movement by making copies of the film and giving them out for showings in church basements.

He was a recipient of numerous film awards including the Golden Grape Award, Special Award at theGdynia Film FestivalandSilver HugoAward at theChicago International Film Festival.

In June 2008, he was awarded the Officer's Cross of theOrder of Polonia Restitutafor "his outstanding contributions to the democratic transformations in Poland as well as for achievements for the country in his professional and social work".

In October 2008, he received the GoldenMedal for Merit to Culture - Gloria Artisfrom the-then Minister of Culture and National HeritageBogdan Zdrojewski.

He died on 7 June 2019 in Warsaw after a long illness.

Selected filmography

• Kobieta i kobieta(1979)
• Interrogation(made in 1981 but not released until 1989)
• Clearcut(1990)
• Gracze(1995)
• The Death of Captain Pilecki(2006)
• Generał Nil(2009)
• Układ zamknięty(2013)
• Blindness(2016)

See also

• Cinema of Poland
• List of Poles

External links

• Ryszard BugajskiatIMDb
• Ryszard Bugajskiat Culture.pl