(22 November 1940 - 17 February 2016)
The Polish writer-director and novelist was not a particularly commercial filmmaker. He worked independently, producing films for the European art market rather than mainstream cinema. He studied cinema in France during the 1950s and became assistant to fellow Polish director Andrzej Wajda, although was not as prolific as his mentor, in that over a period of 45 years he directed only about a dozen films. His first feature, The Third Part of the Night (1971) was about the occupation of Poland by Germany. His second The Devil (1972) about the Prussian invasion of Poland in 1793, was banned by the Polish authorities. He then moved to France and made The Most Important Thing: Love, starring Romy Schneider. Returning to Poland he was prevented from finishing On the Silver Globe, based on a book by his great-uncle Jerzy Zulawski. After that he worked mainly in France where he completed that film and made others with actresses including Isabelle Adjani and Sophie Marceau. With the latter he had a long relationship that produced a son. His other films include Possession (1981), The Public Woman (1984), L’amour braque (1985), My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days (1989), Boris Godunov (1989), Fidelity (2000) and Cosmos (2015). Often the recipient of international film awards, Zulawski remained his own man, always eschewing thoughts of compromise on the films he wished to make.
MICHAEL DARVELL
