Jerzy Kawalerowicz

Jerzy Kawalerowicz
Kawalerowicz in 2006
Born	(1922-01-19)19 January 1922 Gwoździec,Poland,(now Hvizdets, Ukraine)
Died	27 December 2007(2007-12-27)(aged 85) Warsaw,Poland
Occupation(s)	Film director Screenwriter
Years active	1952–2001

Kawalerowicz's star on theŁódźWalk of Fame

Jerzy Franciszek Kawalerowicz(19 January 1922 – 27 December 2007) was a Polishfilm directorand politician, having been a member ofPolish United Workers' Partyfrom 1954 until its dissolution in 1990 and a deputy in Polish parliament since 1985 until 1989.

Life and career

Kawalerowicz was born inGwoździec,Poland,as one of the few Poles living in an ethnically-mixed Ukrainian and Jewish town. Kawalerowicz's father's family originated fromArmenia,originally having the surname Kavalarian.Jerzy Kawalerowicz was noted for his powerful, detail-oriented imagery and the depth of ideas in his films. After working as an assistant director, he made his directorial debut with the 1951 filmThe Village Mill(Gromada).He was a leading figure in thePolish Film School,and his filmsShadow(Cień,1956) andNight Train(Pociąg,1959) constitute some of that movement's best work.

Other noted works by Kawalerowicz includeMother Joan of the Angels(Matka Joanna od Aniołów,1961) for which he was awarded theJury Prizeat the1961 Cannes Film Festival,and a1966 adaptationofBolesław Prus' historical novel,Pharaoh(Faraon), which was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

In 1955 Kawalerowicz was appointed head of the prestigiousKADR production unit.He held that position again in 1972. He always resisted pressures from thecommunistadministration to produce propaganda films. His studio produced some of the best Polish films byAndrzej Wajda,Tadeusz KonwickiandJuliusz Machulski.

In 1969 he was a member of the jury at the6th Moscow International Film Festival.In 1975 he was a member of the jury at the9th Moscow International Film Festival.In 1976 he was the head of the jury at the26th Berlin International Film Festival.Two years later, his filmDeath of a Presidentwon theSilver Bear for an outstanding artistic contributionat the1978 festival.At the11th Moscow International Film Festivalhe was a member of the jury and was awarded with the Honourable Prize for the contribution to cinema.

He died on 27 December 2007 inWarsaw.His last film,Quo Vadis,had the largest budget for a Polish movie as of 2011.

Selected filmography

• The Village Mill(Gromada,1952)
• Celuloza(1953) by novel ofIgor Newerly
• Under the Phrygian Star(Pod gwiazdą frygijską,1954)
• Shadow(Cień,1956)
• The Real End of the Great War(Prawdziwy koniec wielkiej wojny,1957)
• Night Train(Pociąg,1959)
• Mother Joan of the Angels(Matka Joanna od Aniołów,1961) by short story ofJarosław Iwaszkiewicz
• Pharaoh(Faraon,1966) by novel ofBolesław Prus
• The Game(Gra,1968)
• Maddalena(1971)
• Death of a President(Śmierć prezydenta,1977)
• Encounter on the Atlantic(Spotkanie na Atlantyku,1980)
• Austeria(The Inn) (1983) by novel ofJulian Stryjkowski
• The Hostage of Europe(Jeniec Europy,1989) by novel ofJuliusz Dankowski
• Bronstein's Children(Bronsteins Kinder,1991)
• Why?(Za co?,1995) by short story ofLeo Tolstoy
• Quo Vadis?(2001) by novel byHenryk Sienkiewicz

See also

• List of Poles
• Cinema of Poland

External links

• Jerzy KawalerowiczatIMDb