Krzysztof Zanussi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Krzysztof Zanussi
Krzysztof Zanussi in 2020
Born	(1939-06-17) 17 June 1939 (age 86) Warsaw, Poland
Nationality	Polish
Education	National Film School in Łódź
Occupation	Film director, Producer, Professor

Krzysztof Pius Zanussi (born June 17, 1939) is a famous Polish director of movies and plays. He is also a producer and a screenwriter. Zanussi teaches European film at the European Graduate School in Switzerland. He also teaches at the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School in Katowice, Poland.

He has won many important awards for his work. He received the Golden Lion, a top prize, at the 1984 Venice Film Festival for his movie A Year of the Quiet Sun. He also won the Jury Prize at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival for The Constant Factor.

Early Life and Education

Krzysztof Zanussi was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1939. He was the only child of Jerzy and Wanda Zanussi. His father, who had Italian roots, worked as a structural engineer, designing buildings and other large structures.

Before becoming a filmmaker, Zanussi explored other subjects. He studied physics at Warsaw University and philosophy at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. He later decided to study film and graduated from the famous National Film School in Łódź in 1967.

A Career in Filmmaking

Zanussi became the director of the Polish Film Studio TOR. His talent earned him many awards, including the David di Donatello Prize from Italy's film academy.

He has also written books about filmmaking and an autobiography called The Time to Die. He even appeared as himself in the movie Camera Buff (1979), which was directed by his friend Krzysztof Kieślowski.

Success in the 1980s

The 1980s were a busy time for Zanussi. His 1980 film, The Constant Factor, was a big success and won a major award at the Cannes Film Festival. During this decade, he often worked in Western Europe.

One of his important films from this period was From a Far Country: Pope John Paul II (1981). The movie told the life story of Karol Wojtyła (who became the Pope) and showed the difficult history of Poland.

Later Films and Recognition

Zanussi continued to make impactful films in the following years.

Zanussi in 1984

• His 2000 film, Life as a Fatal ... Transmitted Disease, won the top prize at the 22nd Moscow International Film Festival.
• His 2002 film, The Supplement, also won an award at the Moscow International Film Festival.

Zanussi has said that his 1996 movie, At Full Gallop, is his most personal film. It shows what his childhood was like growing up in Poland after World War II, during the time of Communism.

In 2012, he received a Lifetime Achievement award at the International Film Festival of India for his amazing contributions to cinema.

Working in a Changing Poland

Zanussi worked during a time when Poland was under communist rule. The government had a lot of control over artists and filmmakers. According to records from Poland's Institute of National Remembrance, the government's secret service listed him as a potential contact between 1962 and 1964.

Zanussi has openly spoken about being contacted by the secret service, which was common for public figures at the time. However, he has always stated that he never agreed to work for them.

Selected Filmography

Zanussi has directed dozens of films. Here are some of his most well-known works:

See also

In Spanish: Krzysztof Zanussi para niños

• List of Poles
• Cinema of Poland
• Cinema of moral anxiety