Andrzej Wajda, the Oscar-winning Polish filmmaker who directed the widely lauded Kanal, Katyn and Man Of Iron, has died at the age of 90. The filmmaker's death, who was a leading figure in the influential Lodz Film School of the 1950s, was confirmed by the Polish Filmmakers' Association.
Wajda, best known for chronicling Poland's struggle for democracy during half a century of communist rule, won international acclaim for Man of Iron (1981), which tells the story of the anti-Communist Solidarity movement.
Best known for his realistic WWII trilogy from the late 1950s, the controversial and politically vital filmmaker continued to work into the 21st century and was considered Poland's preeminent filmmaker.
His latest film Afterimage, based on the life of Polish avant-garde artist Wladyslaw Strzeminski who was persecuted for refusing to follow the communist party line during the Stalinist era, was selected as Poland’s Best Foreign Language Film nominee for next year’s Academy Awards.
His Man of Iron was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes festival. In 2000, Wajda received an Academy Honorary Award in 2000, in recognition of the five decades of his work, the first eastern European director to win the lifetime achievement award at the Oscars. Wajda's films also won a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and four nominations for Academy Awards, among other prizes.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
