FAMOUS DIRECTOR AND WRITER ANDRZEJ ŻUŁAWSKI PASSED AWAY

Friday February 19th, 2016

We inform with deepest regret that on Wednesday, 17th of February, 2016, after a long illness, Polish director Andrzej Żuławski has passed away. He was one of the most outstanding and original contemporary Polish filmmakers.

Andrzej Żuławski’s films brought him international fame. With their original and expressive style they frequently evoked extreme emotions that was impossible for anyone to stay indifferent. As a director he used many different means of artistic expression, was not afraid of breaking social conventions and norms and is work can be often considered shocking or provocative. It is the going against the flow that resulted in his most valued, unforgettable work, such as The Third Part of the Night, The Devil, Possession and many others. Still, he is not only the author of feature films – he also wrote and published several books that only proved him to be outstandingly intelligent, steadfast and extremely courageous.
 
Andrzej Żuławski - Plus Camerimage 2011
[photo by Roman Bosiacki, Camerimage Archive]
 
He was a guest of the Camerimage Festival many times throughout its history, accompanying the festival from the very beginning. In 1996, he chaired the Main Competition jury. In 2002, he was granted the Cinematographer-Director Duo Award for his cooperation with Andrzej J. Jaroszewicz on such notable films as The Chaman, The Blue Note, Boris Godunov, On the Silver Globe or The Devil. During the 16th edition of the Festival in 2008, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award to Polish Director with Unique Visual Sensitivity. The audience attending the last year’s edition had the chance of seeing Andrzej Żuławski’s newest and at the same time last production, titled Cosmos and based on a novel by Witold Gombrowicz. For this film he received the Best Direction Award at the Festival in Locarno.

Our hearts are filled with sorrow upon hearing the news about his death. It is a great loss not only for the Polish film community, but for the film community in general. He left his remarkable work which, to paraphrase his own words, will inspire the next generations of cinema lovers.

Selected filmography:   
  • 2015: Cosmos / Kosmos
  • 2000: Fidelity / La fidélité / Wierność
  • 1996: The Chaman / Chamanka / Szamanka
  • 1990: Blue Note / La note bleue / Błękitna nuta
  • 1989: Boris Godunov / Boris Godounov / Borys Godunow
  • 1989: My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days / Mes nuits sont plus belles que vos jours / Moje noce są piękniejsze niż wasze dni
  • 1988: On the Silver Globe / Le globe d’argent / Na srebrnym globie
  • 1985: Mad Love / L’amour braque / Narwana miłość
  • 1984: The Public Woman / La femme publique / Kobieta publiczna
  • 1981: Possession / Opętanie
  • 1975: The Most Important Thing: Love / L’important c’est d’aimer / Najważniejsze to kochać
  • 1972: The Devil / Le diable / Diabeł
  • 1971:The Third Part of the Night / La troisième partie de la nuit / Trzecia część nocy

 

FINANCED BY THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND NATIONAL HERITAGE OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND AS PART OF THE TASK: CO-ORGANIZATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF THE ART OF CINEMATOGRAPHY EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2024

CO-FINANCED BY: THE CITY OF TORUŃ AND KUJAWSKO-POMORSKIE REGION

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