Agnieszka Holland

Best recognized for her highly politicized contributions to Polish New Wave cinema, Agnieszka Holland is considered one of Poland's most prominent filmmakers. She graduated from Prague Film School in 1971 and went on to become assistant director to Krysztof Zanussi on his 1973 film Illuminacja. After that she became involved in directing stage plays and TV movies. Holland drew upon her theatrical experience to create her 1978 feature Aktorzy prowincjonalni, a chronicle of the often tense backstage relations of a small town theater company that was actually a metaphor for the political situation in Poland. This film won the FIPRESCI prize at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival. Just before Polish martial law was declared in December, 1981, Holland moved her operations to Paris. Her 1985 feature film Bittere Ernte (Angry Harvest), an examination of the relationship between a gentile farmer and the Jewess he conceals during World War II, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In addition to making her own films, Holland has also collaborated with legendary filmmaker Andrzej Wajda on several films including 1982's Danton.