Andrzej Żuławski

Andrzej Żuławski (22 November 1940 – 17 February 2016) was a Polish film director and writer best known for his 1981 film Possession. Żuławski often went against mainstream commercialism in his films, and enjoyed success mostly with European art-house audiences.

In the late 1950s, he studied cinema in France. His second feature, The Devil (1972), was banned in communist Poland, and Żuławski went to France. After the success of That Most Important Thing: Love in 1975, he returned to Poland where he spent two years making On the Silver Globe (not released until 1988). The work on this film was interrupted and destroyed by the authorities. After that, Żuławski moved to France where he became known for controversial and violent art-house films such as Possession (1981). Żuławski is also known for his work with actresses including Romy Schneider, Isabelle Adjani and Sophie Marceau.

His films have received awards at various international film festivals. Żuławski had also written several novels, for example: Il était Un Verger, Lity Bór (a.k.a. La Forêt Forteresse), W Oczach Tygrysa, and Ogród Miłości.

Biography
Żuławski was born in Lviv, Ukrainian SSR (formerly known as Lwów). He was an assistant of the filmmaker Andrzej Wajda.

When his second film The Devil was banned in Poland, he decided to move to France, where he made That Most Important Thing: Love (1975) with Romy Schneider.

After returning to Poland he worked for two years on a film which the authorities did not allow him to finish (On the Silver Globe), based on a book by his great-uncle Jerzy Żuławski. Since then he lived and worked mostly in France, making art films.

Being described as a maverick who always defied mainstream commercialism, Żuławski enjoyed success mostly with the European art-house audiences. His wild, imaginative, and controversial pictures have received awards at various international film festivals. He also wrote the novels Il était Un Verger, Lity Bór (a.k.a. La Forêt Forteresse), W Oczach Tygrysa, and Ogród Miłości.

In 2006 he was the Head of the Jury at the 28th Moscow International Film Festival.

Żuławski worked many times with composer Andrzej Korzyński, beginning in The Third Part of the Night (1971). Their last collaboration was for Cosmos (2015), which was also Żuławski's last film.

On 17 February 2016, Żuławski died at a hospital in Warsaw from cancer.

Personal life


Żuławski's first wife was Barbara Baranowska, a member of the Polish School of Posters. She created the iconic French version of the poster for Żuławski's Possession. Her first husband, Adolf Rudnicki, inspired the character Abe in the movie.

Żuławski had three sons from different relationships. One of Żuławski's ex-wives was Małgorzata Braunek, who was a Polish film and stage actress. Their son, Xawery, is also a film director.

His relationship with the painter Hanna Wolska resulted in the birth of his son Ignacy.

He was in a relationship with French actress Sophie Marceau for sixteen years, with whom he made four films over a 15-year period (L'Amour braque, My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days, La Note bleue, Fidelity). They had a son Vincent together. They broke up in 2001.

From 2007 to 2008 Żuławski dated Weronika Rosati, daughter polish politics, Dariusz Rosati. In 2010 Żuławski released a book titled "Nocnik", which included a character allegedly based on Rosati named Esther. Rosati sued Żuławski and the book's publisher for violating her right to privacy and dignity as a woman as the book included intimate details about her. Żuławski lost the case in 2015.