Andrzej Wajda

Andrzej Witold Wajda was born on 6 March 1926 in Suwałki, then part of the Second Polish Republic, to a school‑teacher mother, Aniela Białowąs, and an army‑officer father, Jakub Wajda. During World War II he joined the Home Army, participating in the Polish resistance before the conflict ended. After the war he initially pursued painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, but soon transferred to the Łódź Film School, where he studied alongside future luminaries such as Roman Polanski. His apprenticeship with director Aleksander Ford paved the way for his debut feature A Generation (1955), the first of a celebrated war‑trilogy that also includes Kanał (1957) and Ashes and Diamonds (1958). These early works established Wajda as a core member of the Polish Film School, noted for their stark realism, symbolic imagery, and probing exploration of national identity under occupation. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s he expanded his oeuvre to encompass both avant‑garde experiments like Lotna and socially critical epics such as The Promised Land (1975) and Man of Marble (1977), the latter earning international acclaim and solidifying his reputation as a filmmaker unafraid to confront Poland’s turbulent history. Man of Iron (1981) brought him the Palme d'Or at Cannes and showcased his commitment to the Solidarity movement, even as the regime attempted to silence his production company. In the decades that followed Wajda continued to receive top honors, including an Honorary Oscar (2000), an Honorary Golden Bear (2006), and an Honorary Golden Lion, while directing powerful later works such as Katyń (2007) – nominated for an Academy Award – and the biographical Walesa. Man of Hope (2013). His personal life was marked by four marriages, notably to actress Beata Tyszkiewicz, with whom he had a daughter, Karolina, and to costume designer Krystyna Zachwatowicz. Wajda’s legacy endures through his vast filmography, his influence on generations of Polish and international filmmakers, and his tireless advocacy for artistic freedom and human dignity.