Roman Polanski
Film Director – Born 1930
Jew, born in France, raised in Krakow (including the Jewish ghetto during
WWII).
Education at the Film School in Lodz.
After a few films in Poland, he worked in France, England and the USA from 1965.
These are films with deep psychological insight and Polanski has received a wealth of international prizes and recognitions.
The most famous are Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and Chinatown (1974).
Wife killed in 1969
Married to American actress Sharon Tate, who, along with her unborn child, was stabbed to death by the Charles Manson cult in 1969.
Following allegations of a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl, Polanski fled the US in 1978.
The authorities have later tried to extradite from both Switzerland and Poland, but this has been refused due to the case being statute-barred in those countries.
The Pianist
The Pianist (2002) – is a film about the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw during WW2.
Later films with a narrower audience
In his old age, Polanski has embarked on a self-realisation project, making films that are no less brilliant than his previous works, but perhaps with a narrower audience.
Personally, I love films like Venus in Fur (2013) and The Palace (2023).
Please send an email to m@hardenfelt.pl if you would like an English-speaking tour guide to show you the most important places in Warsaw.