Agnieszka Holland

Birthday: 28 November 1948, Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland

Agnieszka Holland was born 28 of November 1948 in Warsaw but went to Czechoslovakia to study film directing at FAMU in Prague. She began her film career working in Poland with Krzysztof Zanussi as assistant director, and Andrzej Wajda as her mentor. She wrote several scripts with Wajda before directing her own films, which were soon winning awards at festivals - [ Cannes (1980), Gdansk, Berlin (1981), Montreal (1985,1987), Golden Globe Award (1991)] - and gaining notoriety as part of the Polish New Wave. Holland is best known in the United States for her Oscar-Nominated "Angry Harvest", "Europa, Europa", and Warner Bros. fims: "Olivier, Olivier" and the "The Secret Garden". In 1994 she has directed "Red Wind" in the United States, a thriller for television produced by Sydney Pollack, which was aired on Arte in the series Fallen Angels. A year later she made "Total Eclipse". In 1996 she has directed "Washington Square" in the United States, starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Albert Finney. Show less «

I went to school in Prague because there was no chance for me to be accepted at Lodz [film school}. ...Show more »

I went to school in Prague because there was no chance for me to be accepted at Lodz [film school}. My father was a well-known Party member and journalist who had been arrested on false accusations, and committed suicide by jumping out of a window while in custody. His death was an important event. Also, at FAMU, I was politically engaged, and I was also arrested and sentenced. Then, around 1970, the situation improved in Poland and it became unbearable for me in Czechoslovakia.{2015} Show less «

In 1976 Andrzej Wajda was the most talented director working in Poland, and he became head of a crea...Show more »

In 1976 Andrzej Wajda was the most talented director working in Poland, and he became head of a creative group that he called "X." After 1970, there was a liberalization, so he had a large degree of freedom of development, but (the shorts) still had to pass through official censorship and communist party censorship. Most of Wajda's contemporaries saw this as his project, and perhaps because of creative jealousy, they didn't want to be part of it. So except for one director, all of the others, including me, were recent film school graduates. (...) He was brave. He had a lot of problems, because none of my scripts could get passed by the censors. It was a good move to put my film among nine others. It made it more difficult to target me. Wajda was so committed to my well-being that he literally offered to adopt me, if needed.[2015] Show less «

[on Krzysztof Kieslowski] In 1974, we became close friends and began to creatively collaborate. He a...Show more »

[on Krzysztof Kieslowski] In 1974, we became close friends and began to creatively collaborate. He also tried several times to help me by petitioning for me to be accepted into Lodz, but it was too difficult. (...) He was already a person of great authority. Everyone looked up to him. But he was much more fun then. Success did not free him. He seemed to suffer under the weight of responsibility. We all knew that he was special, with a special eye and gift for directing.[2015] Show less «

[on filmmakers who influenced her work] I think I was influenced by the Czech New Wave the most, esp...Show more »

[on filmmakers who influenced her work] I think I was influenced by the Czech New Wave the most, especially Evald Schorm and Jan Nemec, Ivan Passer, and my professors were Karel Kachyna and Otakar Vávra. Schorm has also influenced me as a person. Their films still inspire me today. My cinema has always oscillated between Polish pathos and Czech civilness. Show less «

[on filmmaking in communism] Money was not so important then. It was a communist economy, so the mon...Show more »

[on filmmaking in communism] Money was not so important then. It was a communist economy, so the money was not real, and we could take a long time in shooting a film, and we could build big sets. However, film stock had to be exported from the West, and we had to shoot a one-to-four ratio, which is nothing. It's a good lesson, however, because it teaches you how to edit the film in your head.[2015] Show less «

Agnieszka Holland

Agnieszka Holland's FILMOGRAPHY

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