Andrzej Wajda

"Wajda" redirects here. For the surname, see Wajda (surname).

Andrzej Wajda
Wajda in 1963
Born
Andrzej Witold Wajda

(1926-03-06)6 March 1926
Suwałki, Second Polish Republic
Died9 October 2016(2016-10-09) (aged 90)
Warsaw, Poland
Alma materNational Film School in Łódź
Occupation(s)Film director, theatre director
Years active1951–2016
Spouses
  • Gabriela Obremba
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1949; div. 1959)​
  • Zofia Żuchowska
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1959; div. 1967)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1967; div. 1969)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1974)​
Awards
Signature

Andrzej Witold Wajda (Polish: [ˈandʐɛj ˈvajda]; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar,[1] the Palme d'Or,[2] as well as Honorary Golden Lion[3] and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the "Polish Film School". He was known especially for his trilogy of war films consisting of A Generation (1955), Kanał (1957) and Ashes and Diamonds (1958).[4]

He is considered one of the world's most renowned filmmakers,[5] whose works chronicled his native country's political and social evolution[6] and dealt with the myths of Polish national identity offering insightful analyses of the universal element of the Polish experience – the struggle to maintain dignity under the most trying circumstances.

Four of his films have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film: The Promised Land (1975),[7] The Maids of Wilko (1979),[8] Man of Iron (1981) and Katyń (2007).[9]

  1. ^ Kaufman, Michael T. (10 October 2016). "Andrzej Wajda, Towering Auteur of Polish Cinema, Dies at 90". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  2. ^ "Acclaimed Polish film director Andrzej Wajda dies aged 90". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Venice Film Festival to Honor Polish Auteur Andrzej Wajda". The Hollywood Reporter. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  4. ^ Natale, Richard (9 October 2016). "Andrzej Wajda, Celebrated Polish Director, Dies at 90". variety.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Andrzej Wajda". Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  6. ^ "Andrzej Wajda". Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  7. ^ "The 48th Academy Awards (1976) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  8. ^ "The 52nd Academy Awards (1980) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  9. ^ Etkind, Alexander; Finnin, Rory; Blacker, Uilleam; Fedor, Julie; Lewis, Simon; Mälksoo, Maria; Mroz, Matilda (24 April 2013). Remembering Katyn. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780745662961.