Krzysztof Kieślowski
Life and creativity of the director
Biographical Note
Krzysztof Kieślowski was born on 27 June 1941 in Warsaw. Father, Roman, was an
engineer, and his mother, Barbara – a clerk. He spent his childhood on constant moves.
Sometimes during one year he attended many schools. Continuous changes of
whereabouts were caused by changing sanatoriums, which his father was treated
tuberculosis in. „ I come from very average family. My mother was a clerk and father
was an engineer and worked in a construction industry. I had never met my
grandparents. Actually I don’t have any roots. (…) I was 16 when my father died. He
died from tuberculosis. He was suffering for twenty years and, I guess, he didn’t want
to live any longer. He couldn’t work and give what he was supposed to give a family
and he surely had a feeling that he wasn’t able to do what he should in his professional
career, emotional and family matters. I didn’t talk to him about that but I’m sure that it
was like that. When he died – I was crying. Before – I was ashamed of him. He was
very wise man but I couldn’t use much of this wisdom. I was too stupid, too young, too
reckless or too naive. Only now I can understand what some of his moves or words
meant. (…) My mother was 67 when she died in a car which was driven by my friend
in 1981. (…) I had fantastic parents but I couldn’t appreciate them when I should. (…)
I didn’t talk with them about thousands of things. I will never know about them.”
From 1957 to 1962 r. Kieślowski was
studying in State Secondary School of
Theatrical Technology in Warsaw.
During these few years he fell in love
with scene; nearly everyday he
attended the performances in Ateneum
Theatres, Modern and Dramatic one.
After many years his stay in secondary
school became his inspiration to realise
a film „Personel” (1975). His love to
theatre made him become theatrical
director. Unfortunately only graduates
of higher studies were admitted on this
major. Kieślowski decided to study
movie direction. He got into State
Higher Theatrical and Movie School in
Łódź by the third time, in 1964. During
compulsory break in his education,
between secondary school and studies,
he started to teach drawing, was a
cultural speaker and dresser in Polish
Theatre, where he helped out actresses
like Tadeusz Łomnicki, Zbigniew
Zapasiewicz or Aleksander Bardini.
In this Movie School Kieślowski was learning to 1968 r. During
this time he realised a row of feature and documentary etude, for
instance "Tramwaj" (1966, eng. „A tram”) and "Koncert życzeń"
(1967; eng. „Concert of wish”). 5 February 1970 he was given a
Master’s degree for his work „Film dokumentalny a rzeczywistość”
(eng. „documentary film and reality”) written under Jerzy Bossak
guidance and for two documentary films: „Zdjęcie” (1968; eng. „A
photo”) and „Z miasta Łodzi” (1969, eng. „From the Łódź city”)
realised under Kazimierz Karabasz guidance. „Zdjęcie” is also his
TV debut and „Z miasta Łodzi” was his first movie realised in
Documentary Films Factory in Warsaw, in which he worked from
1969 to 1983. He directed a lot of very popular documentary films
there, like „ Przed Rajdem” (1971), „Robotnicy`71: Nic o nas bez
nas ” (1972, eng. „Workers’71: Nothing about us and without us”),
„Życiorys” (1975; eng. „Life story”), „Z punktu widzenia nocnego
portiera" (1977; eng. „From the view of a doorman”) and "Siedem
kobiet w różnym wieku" (1978; eng. „Seven women in different
age”).
In 1971 Kieślowski became a member of Polish Filmmakers
Association, in which from 1978-1981 fulfilled a function of deputy
chairman. From 1974 to his death he belonged to Movie Company
„Tor” (eng. „A railway”), whose supervisor was firstly – Stanisław
Różewicz and from 1979 year – Krzysztof Zanussi. In this team
Kieślowski realised his feature debut – a TV film „Personel” (1975,
eng. „Staff”) and his full-length cinema film – „Blizna” (1976; eng.
„A scar”) and one of the most prominent work of trend „kina
moralnego niepokoju” – „Amator” (1979; eng. „Amateur”). In 70s,
Kieślowski began steady cooperation with Polish TV and realised
documentaries as well as theatrical performances for it (for example:
„Dwoje na huśtawce” (eng. Two people on a swing”) in 1977 and
„Kartoteka” (eng. „File” in 1979). In 1978 he made his debut as a
theatrical director in Old Theatre in Krakow with a play based on
previous documentary – „Życiorys”
In 1982 Hanna Krall, with whom
Kieślowski cooperated by the script of
"Krótki dzień pracy" (1981) based on
her reporting, introduced the director
with Krzysztof Piesiewicz – a lawyer.
In that way their friendship and
cooperation began. They realised a film
„Bez Końca” (eng. „Without the end”)
and then –also together- all next.
International recognition brought him
„Krótki film o zabijaniu” (eng. ”A short
film about killing”) and „Krótki film o
miłości” (1988, eng. „A short film
about love”) , that made up series
„Dekalog” (eng. „The Decalogue”).
From 1991 Kieślowski realised his
films in Polish-French co-production
and from 1993 by a famous French
producer Marin Karmitz. After realising
series „Trzy kolory” (1993-94;eng.
„Three colours”) he announced that he
would like to withdraw from making
movies. During last months of life he
prepared movie scripts of triptych „Raj”
(eng. „The Paradise”), „Czyściec” (eng.
„The purgatory”), ”Piekło” (eng. „The
Hell”) with Piesiewicz.
Krzysztof Kieślowski
on the set „Przypadek”
Krzysztof Kieślowski
on the set „Spokój”
Krzysztof Kieślowski z Juliette Binoche
„From the first to the last movie, all the time, I’m telling stories about
a man, who can’t have a good grasp of the world, who doesn’t exactly
know how to live and what is good or wrong and is searching
desperately. He’s searching for the answer for the basic questions:
What is it all for? What get up in the morning for? What go to bed in
the evening for? What wake up again for? How to spend the time
between one and another one awakening to shave calmly if it is a man
and to put a make up if it is a woman … I made films to talk with
people. An Art for art, a form for form, paralysing with your acuteness
or a talent – I’m not interested in it at all. My aim is to tell people a
story which occupies them. It occupies them because it is somehow
close to them… For me, leading actors doesn’t exist. A selection of
the cast has an essential meaning. After that there is only a technique:
here you stand up, there you sit down and there you withdraw three
steps. Finding yourself in a role belongs to an actor… So, it goes
about finding an actor, who will decide to give to a film not only their
craft but also something which comes from their own personality,
something true from themselves. I think this is the only interesting
thing in film: to get something from people, who are coming…”
Newsreel
School Etudes
1966 – „Tramwaj” (eng. „A tram”) – a feature film etude realised under
Wanda Jakubowska guidance. About a boy’s unsuccessful meeting with a
girl. Wordless.
1966 – „Urząd” (eng. „A Bureau”; working title "Renta" („Pension”) – a
documentary etude, realised under the Jerzy Bosak, Kazimierz Karabasz
and Kurt Weber guidance. About clerks who gave pension and about their
clients. Bureaucratic machine and human dramas.
1967 – „Koncert życzeń” (eng. „Concert of wish”) – a documentary etude
telling about teenagers’ behaviours and subcultures.
1972 „Między Wrocławiem a Zieloną Górą”. (eng. „Between Wrocław and Zielona Góra”) A film
about Zagłębie Miedziowe in Lubin.
1972 „Podstawy BHP w kopalni miedzi”. (eng. „The basis of caution in a copper mine”) An
instructional film realised on commission.
1972 „Robotnicy’71: O nas i bez nas” (eng. „Workers’71: about us and without us”, working title
"Robotnicy" („Workers”)) An attempt to look at Polish workers at the beginning of 70s decade.
Social moods and arousal of worker’s consciousness and authorities’ manipulations after
December’s events in 1970. The film was never shown in this version. It was displayed in
cinemas with a censorship without authors’ permission entitled „ Gospodarze” (eng. „Hosts”).
Additionally, authorities stole sound materials for this film with an inten((9tion to use them
against workers who were uttering in the movie.
1973 „Murarz”. (eng. „Bricklayer”) Bricklayer Józef Malesa, who had been a working leader and
party activist on work holiday on 1st May, was reminiscing his past, Stalin’s years and October
in 1956. Polish history is seen by the eyes of a man who was seduced by an enthusiasm of
building a new order – and ultimately who was disappointed.
1974 „Prześwietlenie”. (eng. „Radiograph”) A film realised in a sanatorium in Sokołowo in Dolny
Śląsk. It’s a film about people who were suffering from lung illness. This is a poignant
description of sick people.
1974 „Pierwsza miłość”. (eng. „The first love”) A story of two people ( 17 and 18 old), which is
directing to the moment of childbirth. A description of two people’s love who began an adult
life in PRL reality, when nothing was simple, when each matter, even the easiest one, you
could sort out by going from one bureau to another one – backwards and forwards. The love
which gave a hope.
1975 „Życiorys” (eng. „Life story”; staged documentary. An account of Province Commission of
Party Control gathering, which was considering an appeal of a worker who had been excluded
from a party before. In spite of fictitious worker and his resume the gathering turned into a real
judgement of a bothering man who wanted to accomplish something. It’s a description of
ruining people who was rebelling in the name of honesty and dignity rules. It is realised as a
instructional film and shown on displays for PZPR members.
1980 „Gadające głowy”. (eng. „Talking heads”) People of different jobs, in different
age- from one-year child to 100-years gammer who are answering the questions:
When were you born? Who are you? What is the most important for you? Head
gallery is the place where you can find information about speakers’ age. Dreams
and problems of people in different age are panning out in a story about human life
in which two-years child dreams to be a car and 100-years gammer dreams to live
longer. It is also a story about Poland, about how Poles imagine their country and
what they would like to change.
1988 „Siedem dni tygodnia” (eng. „Seven days of a week” - a film presented in
international series of „City Life”. Seven people who are watched during their
activities for seven days of a week. All met together on Sunday by common
breakfast. Symbolic description of typical Polish family. Film nearly without
words.
Features films:
1973 „Przejście podziemne”. (eng. „An underpass”) A young teacher from a province
went to Warsaw and in an underpass he met his ex-wife, who had left him some
time ago, by chance. The teacher was trying to revitalise their past but they weren’t
able to communicate. The wife was changed by the big city, she contracted lack of
feelings and cynicism. It’s a film about a crisis of values realised a little bit in a
documentary style: pictures of hand-camera, editing, the way of telling a story.
Thanks to this, the description of reality becomes more authentic, genuine. Cosy
psychological drama about an inability to communicate.
1979 „Amator”. (eng. „Amateur”) One of the best movies of: Cinema of moral anxiety. It is
the story of a amateur film maker, Filip Mosz, a provider in a plant, who bought a movie
camera to record the first steps of his newborn daughter. However, from filming his
child he moved on to film the plant, and then the city. It appeared that you could lie and
say the truth with the camera at the same time. He wanted to say the truth. He paid for it
with his family breakdown, conflicts with other people and demigods’ troubles. The last
scene is symbolic. Filip turned the camera in front of him and started to tell his life
story. The film is about a place for the art in the world, courage, intransigence and
demarcations of responsibility for a word and the price for a liberty to create.
1981 „Krótki dzień pracy” (eng. „A short day in the work”; a script with Hanna
Krall, based on her reportage). "Widok z okna na pierwszym piętrze" (eng.
„A view from the window on a second floor) – a TV film ( premiere in 1996).
Events in Radom (1976), which are seen by the eyes of party secretary in this
town - Wacław Ulewicz who is in charge of demonstrators’ committee in
province party. In the film, despite the actors, there is also Tadeusz
Mazowiecki who plays the role of himself.
1981 „Przypadek” (eng. „Coincidence”) – premiere in 1987. Three equal stories
of a young man, Witek Długosz. In each story a demigod purchased a train
ticket. In the first one he is bound for the train and he met there an ideological
communist who made Witek become a party activist. In the second story he
got into a college after a fight and became an active dissident activist. In the
third one he missed a train and met a friend on the platform, he fell in love and
led a typical life. The first and second one ends with his dilemmas and
bitterness in August in 1980. In the third story, which seems to be more lucky
at the beginning, Witek died in accidental air disaster. An accident as an
unpredictable director of human lot.
1985 „Bez końca” (eng. „Without the end”). Martial law in Poland. A young
woman, a widow of a lawyer who was defending in political trails was not able
to find herself after a death of her husband. The deceased ghost started to
interfere in her life – the wife still felt the presence of him. A longing drove
her to suicide. Her personal thread is intertwined with a political trial of a
young worker and deliberations about society’s political attitude and lawyers’
vocational ethics.
1988 „Dekalog” (eng. „The Decalogue”; a script with Krzysztof Piesiewicz). Ten TV films
which refer by their message, sometimes in a very distant way, to a fundamental ethical
code of Judaism and Christianity.
1991 „Podwójne życie Weroniki” (eng. „A dual life of Weronika). Two identical girls who
had the same names and similar sensitivity and lived in different countries. They were
connected by a strong physical bound which - without knowing each other - they could
only sense. When one of them (Pole) died due to excessive exertion, which was a
vocational singing, the second one – Frenchwoman, left the music under the influence of
impulse.
1994 „Trzy kolory: biały (TROIS COULEURS. BLANC) (eng. „Three colours”
white”; a script with Krzysztof Piesiewicz). An attractive Frenchwoman left her
husband, an uninteresting hairdresser and Polish emigrant. Surely, she felt as if she
had been better than he. The desperate Pole would astonish her with his cleverness,
take revenge to prove his value and to arouse an admiration in her and maybe even
a feeling. Kieślowski emphasized that in that film he took measures closed to a
comedy which were uncharacteristic for him.
Krzysztof Kieślowski was also a director of TV show : „Pozwolenie
na odstrzał „ (according to Zofia Posmysz (1972), „Szach królowi”
(based on „Nowela szachowa” written by Stefan Zweig (1973)),
„Kartoteka” (according to a play of Tadeusz Różewicz (1976)) and
„Dwoje na huśtawce) (according to William Gibson (1976)). In Old
Theatre in Krakow he also put on the play „Życiorys” (based on his
own movie with the same title) as well. According to Kieślowski
scprits there were realised a couple of films. In 2000, Jerzy Stuhr
realised „Duże zwierzę” (an adaptation of Kazimierz Orłoś narrative
story „Wielbłąd). In Germany and Italy, in 2001 originated a film
according to Kieślowski and Piesiewicz script „Niebo” directed by
German director Tom Tykwer (according to „Raj”).
There were made a few documentary films about Kieślowski: „I‘m so-so”, in 1995
and „Kieślowski i jego „amator” (eng. „Kieślowski and his „amateur”) in 1999 – both
films of Krzysztof Wierzbicki, „Lekcja kina” (eng. „Cinema lesson) - Dominique
Rabourdin in 1996, „Ostatnie spotkanie z Krzysztofem Kieślowski” (eng. „The final
meeting with Krzysztof Kieślowski) – Mikołaj Jazdon, 1996.
His closest associates and friends:
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Krzysztof Piesiewicz
Krzysztof Zanussi
Zbigniew Preisner
Agnieszka Holland
Sławomir Idziak
Piotr Jaxa – Kwiatkowski
THANK YOU!
Authors: Dagmara Wojciechowska,
Olaf Szefler
Translated by: Katarzyna Popławska,
Joanna Kaźnica