Jerzy Kawalerowicz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerzy Kawalerowicz
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Kawalerowicz in 2006
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| Born | 19 January 1922 Gwoździec, Poland, (now Hvizdets, Ukraine)
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| Died | 27 December 2007 (aged 85) Warsaw, Poland
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| Occupation | Film director Screenwriter |
| Years active | 1952–2001 |
Jerzy Franciszek Kawalerowicz (born January 19, 1922 – died December 27, 2007) was a famous Polish film director. He was known for making movies that had strong pictures and deep ideas. He also took part in politics, being a member of the Polish parliament for a few years.
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Jerzy Kawalerowicz's Early Life and Film Start
Jerzy Kawalerowicz was born in a town called Gwoździec in Poland. His family came from Armenia. He became known for his movies that showed amazing details and had deep meanings.
He started his career as an assistant director. His very first film as a director was The Village Mill (Gromada) in 1951.
A Leader in Polish Cinema
Jerzy Kawalerowicz was a very important person in the Polish Film School. This was a special time in Polish filmmaking. His movies Shadow (Cień, 1956) and Night Train (Pociąg, 1959) are thought to be some of the best films from this period.
Other famous movies he directed include Mother Joan of the Angels (Matka Joanna od Aniołów, 1961). For this film, he won a special award called the Jury Prize at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival.
He also directed Pharaoh (Faraon, 1966). This movie was based on a famous historical novel by Bolesław Prus. Pharaoh was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. This is a very big honor for a movie not made in English.
Leading a Film Studio
In 1955, Kawalerowicz became the head of a well-known film studio called KADR production unit. He led this studio again in 1972. He always tried to make good movies, even when the government at the time (a communist government) wanted him to make films that supported their ideas. He didn't let them force him to make "propaganda films."
His studio helped create some of the best Polish movies. Famous directors like Andrzej Wajda, Tadeusz Konwicki, and Juliusz Machulski made films there.
Awards and Later Work
Jerzy Kawalerowicz was often asked to be a judge at big film festivals around the world. He was a jury member at the 6th Moscow International Film Festival in 1969 and the 9th Moscow International Film Festival in 1975. In 1976, he was the head of the jury at the 26th Berlin International Film Festival.
Two years later, his film Death of a President won the Silver Bear award at the 1978 festival. He also received an Honourable Prize for his contributions to cinema at the 11th Moscow International Film Festival.
Jerzy Kawalerowicz passed away on December 27, 2007, in Warsaw. His last movie was Quo Vadis (2001). This film was very expensive to make for a Polish movie at that time.
Selected Filmography
- The Village Mill (Gromada, 1952)
- Celuloza (1953)
- 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) based on a short story by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz
- Pharaoh (Faraon, 1966) based on a novel by Bolesław 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)
- The Hostage of Europe (Jeniec Europy, 1989) based on a novel by Juliusz Dankowski
- Bronstein's Children (Bronsteins Kinder, 1991)
- Why? (Za co?, 1995) based on a short story by Leo Tolstoy
- Quo Vadis? (2001) based on a novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz
See also
In Spanish: Jerzy Kawalerowicz para niños
- List of Poles
- Cinema of Poland
