Akademik

(1948-)

   Director and scriptwriter of all his films, known for several popular films and television productions. Piwowarski's characteristic cinematic style had already emerged at the beginning of his career in two very successful television films: Blind Man's Bluff (Ciuciubabka, 1977) and A Daughter or a Son (Córka albo syn, 1979). These introduced characters who were down-to-earth, likeable, and sometimes mildly grotesque and told stories that were lyrical, nostalgic, and bordering on the sentimental. Piwowarski often dealt with coming-of-age problems and told stories set in small provincial towns against the backdrop of politics. After directing one of the most unusual Polish television series, John Heart (Jan Serce, 1982), about a sensitive Warsaw sewer maintenance worker (Kazimierz Kaczor), Piwowarski released his first theatrical film, Yesterday (1985), about the Beatles phenomenon in Poland. Equally popular became Train to Hollywood (Pociąg do Hollywood, 1987), about a small-town female bartender's (Katarzyna Figura) dream of becoming Marilyn Monroe. His next film, March Almonds (Marcowe migdały, 1990), referred to a turbulent year in Polish politics (1968) and told a coming-of-age story about Piwowarski's own generation. His most successful film, The Sequence of Feelings (Kolejność uczuć, 1993), with Daniel Olbrychski as a famous aging actor in love with a teenager, was reminiscent of American screwball comedies of the 1940s and 1950s. It won the Festival of Polish Films and was also voted the best Polish film by readers of the weekly Film. Piwowarski's later theatrical films did not receive critical recognition and failed at the box office. He devoted himself to television productions, working as a director on several well-liked television series (scripted by others), such as The Family Złotopolski (Złotopolscy, 1997-2006) and For Better or Worse (Na dobre i na złe, 2005-2006). His recent television film The Queen of Clouds (Królona chmur, 2003) reminded viewers about his talent and original style.

   Select other films: My Mother's Lovers (Kochankowie mojej mamy, 1986), Self-portrait with a Lover (Autoportret z kochanką, 1996), The Dark Side of Venus (Ciemna strona Wenus, 1988), Small Station (Stacyjka, TV series, 2004).

   Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema by Marek Haltof