Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, composer, author of music for more than 70 films, has been awarded the Polish Film Award Eagles 2023 for life achievements. The award was announced during a special meeting with the nominees in Warsaw.
President of the Polish Film Academy (PAF) Dariusz Jabłoński emphasised that Jan. A.P. Kaczmarek is a world filmmaker, a person of great importance for Polish film.
“I applauded his successes in world cinematography, when he made not only American but also German films shown at the most important festivals”, said the PAF president and recalled that the artist received an Oscar for the music to the film “The Dreamers”, but also created the music to the film “Quo vadis”, or more recently to the picture “The Death of Zygielbojm”, said the chairman.
Dariusz Jabłoński noted that although the composer is currently seriously ill, he hopes that this award will lift his spirits.
“I believe that this gift of energy that the film community is giving him today by selecting him as the recipient of the Life Achievement Award will lift him up and allow him to continue making films”, added Jabłoński.
Kaczmarek’s musical output includes compositions for symphonies and theatre plays, including productions of “Forefathers’ Eve” and “The Un-Divine Comedy”, as well as other Polish classical dramas. Among the films, the most noteworthy are the tracks for Adrian Lyne’s “Unfaithful”, Max Farberbock’s “Aimee and the Jaguar”, Janusz Kamiński’s “Lost Souls”, Jerzy Kawalerowicz’s “Quo vadis” and finally Marc Forster’s “The Dreamer”, starring Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Radha Mitchell, Julie Christie and Dustin Hoffman.
The winners of this year’s “Eagles” will be announced at a gala on 6 March. The Polish Film Academy Awards will be presented for the 25th time. The largest number of nominations – eleven – was received by the Polish candidate for an Oscar, the film IO directed by Jerzy Skolimowski. The picture has a chance to win a statuette in the Best Film, Director and Screenplay categories, among others. Eight nominations were received by ‘Johnny’, directed by Daniel Jaroszek.
Arkadiusz Słomczyński