Master of Polish cinema and Oscar winner Andrzej Wajda died on October 9, 2016 at the age of 90.
He was one of the most prominent Polish filmmakers, claiming a career that spanned over 65 years.
Born on 6 March 1926 in Suwałki, he studied at Kraków’s Academy of Fine Arts in 1946-1949. He graduated from the Polish National Film, Television and Theatre School in Łódź in 1953.
Wajda co-founded the Polish Film School and brought to screen several Polish literary classics including Ashes and Diamonds (1958), Sir Thaddeus (1999) and The Promised Land (1974).
He won numerous awards for his work and in 2000 he received a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award Oscar. His work was also recognized with a Golden Lion and a Golden Bear. His films also won the Palm d’Or at Cannes, the European Film Award “Felix” and the Japanese Kyoto Award.
Andrzej Wajda directed 50 feature films, four of which were nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
His most recognized film include: Ashes and Diamonds (1958), The Promised Land (1974), Man of Marble (1976), The Maids of Wilko (1979), Man of Iron (1981), Sir Thaddeus (1999), Katyń (2007) and Wałęsa. Man of Hope (2013).
His last film, Afterimage, was well received at the 41st Gdynia Film Fest and was selected as the Polish entry for the Oscars.
In 2002, along with Wojciech Marczewski, Andrzej Wajda founded his own film school, Wajda School & Studio, where students follow different film courses led by famous European filmmakers.
