Eagle Awards: "Rosa" Wins Best Pic
Wojciech Smarzowski. Photo courtesy of AKPA
The 14th edition of the Polish Film Awards drew to an end with the Eagle awards ceremony, held on March 19 at Warsaw’s Grand Theatre. The Polish Film Academy voted Róża (Rosa) by Wojciech Smarzowski as Best Picture of the Year. Rosa won a total of seven awards.
Awards in all categories:
- Best Picture: Róża (Rosa), directed by Wojciech Smarzowski;
- Other nominees: Sala samobójców (Suicide Room) by Jan Komasa and W ciemności (In Darkness) by Agnieszka Holland;
- Best Director: Wojciech Smarzowski for his film Róża (Rosa);
- Other nominees: Agnieszka Holland for W ciemności (In Darkness) and Jan Komasa for Sala samobójców (Suicide Room);
- Best Screenplay: Michał Szczerbic for the screenplay of Róża (Rosa);
- Other nominees: Jan Komasa for the screenplay of Sala samobójców (Suicide Room), Janusz Margański andGrzegorz Zgliński for the screenplay of Wymyk (Courage), and David F. Shamoon for the screenplay of W ciemności (In Darkness);
- Best Photography: Jolanta Dylewska for W ciemności (In Darkness);
- Other nominees: Lech Majewski and Adam Sikora for Młyn i Krzyż (The Mill and the Cross), Piotr Sobociński Jr. for Róża (Rosa);
- Best Production Design: Katarzyna Sobańska andMarcel Sławiński for Młyn iKrzyż (The Mill and the Cross);
- Other nominees: Andrzej Haliński for 1920. Bitwa warszawska (1920. Battle of Warsaw), Erwin Prib, Katarzyna Sobańska andMarcel Sławiński for W ciemności (In Darkness);
- Best Costume Design: Dorota Roqueplo for Młyn i Krzyż (The Mill and the Cross);
- Other nominees: Katarzyna Lewińska andJagna Janicka for W ciemności (In Darkness), Barbara Sikorska-Bouffał for Daas;
- Best Score: Michał Lorenc for Czarny czwartek. Janek Wiśniewski padł (Black Thursday);
- Other nominees: Antoni Komasa-Łazarkiewicz for W ciemności (In Darkness), Lech Majewski andJózef Skrzek for Młyn i Krzyż (The Mill an the Cross);
- Best Sound:Katarzyna Dzida-Hamela iJacek Hamela for Róża (Rosa);
- Other nominees: Krzysztof Jastrząb for Mała matura 1947 (The Rite of Passage) and Bartosz Putkiewicz for Sala samobójców (Suicide Room);
- Best Editing: Bartosz Pietras for Sala samobójców (Suicide Room);
- Other nominees: Marcin “Kot” Bastkowski for 1920. Bitwa warszawska (1920. Battle of Warsaw), Jarosław Kamiński for Ki (My Name Is Ki), Rafał Listopad for Czarny czwartek. Janek Wiśniewski padł (Black Thursday), and Anna Wagner for W imieniu diabła (In the Name of the Devil);
- Best Actress: Agata Kulesza for her performance in Róża (Rosa);
- Other nominees: Roma Gąsiorowska for her performance in Ki (My Name Is Ki), Agnieszka Grochowska for her performance in W ciemności (In Darkness);
- Best Actor: Robert Więckiewicz for his performance in W ciemności (In Darkness);
- Other nominees: Marcin Dorociński for his performance in Róża (Rosa), Jakub Gierszał for his performance in Sala samobójców (Suicide Room);
- Best Supporting Actress: Kinga Preis for her performance in W ciemności (In Darkness);
- Other nominees: Roma Gąsiorowska for her performance in Sala samobójców (Suicide Room), Kinga Preis for her performance in Róża (Rosa);
- Best Supporting Actor: Jacek Braciak for his performance in Róża (Rosa);
- Other nominees: Adam Ferency for his performance in 1920. Bitwa warszawska (1920. Battle of Warsaw), Wojciech Pszoniak for his performance in Kret (The Mole);
- Discovery of the Year: Jan Komasa for his work as a director on Sala samobójców (Suicide Room);
- Other nominees: Leszek Dawid for his work as a director on Ki (My Name Is Ki) and Adrian Panek for his work as a director on Daas;
- Best European Film: The King’s Speech by Tom Hooper (United Kingdom)
- Other nominees: Melancholia by Lars von Trier (France, Denmark, Sweden, Germany), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by Tomas Aldfredson (United Kingdom, France, Germany);
- Audience Award: Wojciech Smarzowski for his film Róża (Rosa)
Best Film, Best Director, and Winner of the Audience Award
“I would like to thank the Academy for this award. I would also like to thank the actors: professionally they will always be most important to me. I would like to thank the producers and co-producers. I would like thank Michał for having come up with this story,” said Wojciech Smarzowski in his acceptance speech as Janusz Gajos presented him with the award. Smarzowski also received the Best Picture award, presented to him by Jerzy Skolimowski. Producer Włodzimierz Niderhaus of WFDiF joined him on stage. “I am deeply moved. A great word of thanks to everyone who allowed us to make this film,” said Niderhaus.
Lifetime Achievement Award for Janusz Majewski
“I have made over 80 films, short and long, television series, teleplays, and this award made me realize that this means I have worked with 80 crews, each of at least 25 people – that makes 2,000 people who worked with me and made these films with me […],” said Majewski in his acceptance speech. He paid a tribute to the actors who performed in his films and read the names of those who have passed on. “It is of course a great feeling to receive this award, although, to be honest, I would prefer to receive today an award for best first-time director,” quipped Majewski.
New Head of the Polish Film Academy
The Polish Film Academy also selected Dariusz Jabłoński as its new chairman. “Thank you for your support, your trust, and for voting in such large numbers,” said Agnieszka Holland who now ended her four-year term as chairwoman of the Polish Film Academy. “We are seeing a rise in the number of films being made in Poland, and in my opinion these films are getting better and better,” she added. “Agnieszka set an example and drew a path that I will do my best to follow,” said Jabłoński and added that Holland will be among those with whom he would like to collaborate closely as chairman of the Polish Film Academy.
All Polish films nominated and awarded at this year’s Polish Film Awards were co-financed by the Polish Film Institute.
Marta Sikorska
Translated by Karolina Kołtun