Andrzej Żuławski | |
|---|---|
 Żuławski,c. 1985–1990 | |
| Born | (1940-11-22)22 November 1940 |
| Died | 17 February 2016(2016-02-17) (aged 75) Warsaw, Poland |
| Occupation(s) | Film director Novelist |
| Years active | 1971–2016 |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Sophie Marceau (1985–2001) |
| Children | 3, includingXawery Żuławski |
| Relatives | Mirosław Żuławski (father),Jerzy Żuławski (grandfather) |
Andrzej Żuławski (Polish:[ˈandʐɛjʐuˈwafskʲi]; 22 November 1940 – 17 February 2016) was a Polishfilm director andwriter best known for his 1981 psychological horror filmPossession. Żuławski often went against mainstreamcommercialism in his films, and enjoyed success mostly with Europeanart-house audiences.
In the late 1950s, he studied cinema in France. His second feature,The Devil (1972), was banned in communist Poland, and Żuławski went to France. After the success ofThat Most Important Thing: Love in 1975, he returned to Poland where he spent two years makingOn the Silver Globe (not released until 1988). The work on this film was interrupted and destroyed by the authorities. After that, Żuławski moved to France where he became known for controversial and violent art-house films such asPossession (1981). Żuławski is also known for his work with actresses includingRomy Schneider,Isabelle Adjani andSophie Marceau.
His films have received awards at various international film festivals. Żuławski also wrote several novels, includingIl était Un Verger,Lity Bór (a.k.a.La Forêt Forteresse),W Oczach Tygrysa, andOgród Miłości.
Żuławski was born in Lviv. His father,Mirosław Żuławski, was a Polish civil servant (and later diplomat) who had studied and worked in that city while it was part of theSecond Polish Republic and prior to its annexation by theUkrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1939.
Żuławski was an assistant of the filmmakerAndrzej Wajda.[1] He studied at the prestigiousInstitut des hautes études cinématographiques (IDHEC) in Paris and in the Department of Philosophy at theSorbonne.[2]
When his second filmThe Devil was banned in Poland,[3] he decided to move to France, where he madeThat Most Important Thing: Love (1975) withRomy Schneider.[4]
After returning to Poland he worked for two years on a film which the authorities did not allow him to finish (On the Silver Globe), based on a book by his great-uncleJerzy Żuławski.[5] Since then he lived and worked mostly in France, making art films.
Being described as a maverick who always defied mainstream commercialism, Żuławski enjoyed success mostly with the European art-house audiences. His wild, imaginative, and controversial pictures have received awards at various international film festivals. He also wrote the novelsIl était Un Verger,Lity Bór (a.k.a.La Forêt Forteresse), W Oczach Tygrysa, and Ogród Miłości.[5]
In 2006 he was the Head of the Jury at the28th Moscow International Film Festival.[6]
Żuławski worked many times with composerAndrzej Korzyński, beginning inThe Third Part of the Night (1971). Their last collaboration was forCosmos (2015), which was also Żuławski's last film.
On 17 February 2016, Żuławski died at a hospital inWarsaw from cancer.[7][8]
Żuławski's first wife wasBarbara Baranowska,[9] a member of thePolish School of Posters. She created the French poster for Żuławski'sPossession. Her first husband,Adolf Rudnicki, inspired the character Abe in the film.[9]
Żuławski had three sons from different relationships. One of Żuławski's ex-wives wasMałgorzata Braunek, who was a Polish film and stage actress. Their son,Xawery, is also a film director.
His relationship with painterHanna Wolska resulted in the birth of his son Ignacy.[10]
He was in a relationship with French actressSophie Marceau for sixteen years, with whom he made four films over a 15-year period (L'Amour braque,My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days,La Note bleue,Fidelity). They had a son named Vincent together. They broke up in 2001.
From 2007 to 2008, Żuławski datedWeronika Rosati, daughter of Polish politicianDariusz Rosati. In 2010, Żuławski released a book titledNocnik, which included a character allegedly based on Rosati named Esther. Rosati sued Żuławski and the book's publisher for violating her right to privacy and dignity as a woman as the book included intimate details about her. Żuławski lost the case in 2015.[3]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | The Third Part of the Night | Yes | Yes | |
| 1972 | The Devil | Yes | Yes | |
| 1975 | That Most Important Thing: Love | Yes | Yes | |
| 1981 | Possession | Yes | Yes | Nominated—Palme d'Or |
| 1984 | The Public Woman | Yes | Yes | Nominated—César Award for Best Adaptation |
| 1985 | L'Amour braque | Yes | Yes | |
| 1987 | Malady of Love | No | Story | |
| 1988 | On the Silver Globe | Yes | Yes | |
| 1989 | My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days | Yes | Yes | |
| 1989 | Boris Godunov | Yes | Yes | |
| 1991 | The Blue Note | Yes | Yes | |
| 1996 | Szamanka | Yes | No | |
| 2000 | Fidelity | Yes | Yes | |
| 2015 | Cosmos | Yes | Yes | |
| 2019 | Bird Talk | No | Yes |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | La sorcière | Yes | Yes | Short film |
| 1969 | The Song of Triumphant Love | Yes | Yes | TV movie |
| Pavoncello | Yes | Yes | TV Short | |
| 1972 | Theatre Macabre | Yes | No | TV series; 2 episodes |
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