The Year of Andrzej Wajda 2026

Andrzej Wajda (born 6 March 1926 in Suwałki – died 9 October 2016 in Warsaw) was a film and theatre director, screenwriter, and one of the most important figures in Polish culture of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. His body of work – spanning more than six decades – includes dozens of film and theatre productions, among them over 40 feature films that have become part of the canon of Polish and world cinema. In 2000, he was honoured with an Academy Honorary Award (Oscar) for lifetime achievement. He also received, among other honours, the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Man of Iron (1981), the Honorary Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival (1998), and the Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the Berlinale (2006).

Wajda was among the filmmakers who co-created the so-called Polish Film School and for many years helped shape the direction of Poland’s national cinema. He was an artist who consistently portrayed the experience of community while at the same time raising questions about individual choices and the cost of responsibility.