It was a barren year for Poland at the Oscars, with not one name ending in ski making it onto the nomination lists. That said, if ever there was a worthy winner, Martin Scorsese tops the list. The director of The Departed had to wait decades for his moment on the podium, and last night it finally came, with a brace of gongs for Best Picture and Best Director. Cracow Life joins in the applause from our foggy outpost on the Vistula.
Meanwhile, Helen Mirren scooped a richly deserved Best Actress award for her portrayal of the British Queen. You can still catch the film at cinemas in Cracow this month.
Although European directors often take a wry view of the Oscars, preferring artier gatherings such as Cannes and Berlin, Poland has notched up one or two triumphs over the years. Janusz Kaminski won Best Cinematography for Schindler's List in 1993, and Polanski won Best Director for The Pianist in 2002. Cracovian film-maker Andrzej Wajda was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award in 1999, and you can track down his golden critter here in Cracow at the Jagiellonian University Museum. 80 years old and still going strong, Wajda has just finished shooting a highly personal film about the Katyn Tragedy of the Second World War. A release date has been set for Autumn.
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