Marcin Koszałka

Polish film operator, director and scriptwriter. He has been fascinated with mountaineering and photography since his youth. He studied drilling at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow and sociology at the Jagiellonian University. However, he eventually abandoned these studies when he passed the entrance examination for studies at the Faculty of Radio and Television of the University of Silesia in Katowice (video engineering). Documentary film became his passion. He managed to attract public attention already with his diploma film Takiego pięknego syna urodziłam (I Bore Such A Beautiful Son) (1999) – a moving portrait of a family in an interior, made under supervision of Andrzej Fidyk. Shown on the television and at prestigious festivals, the film aroused much controversy. Five years later he presented the second part of the document Jakoś to będzie (Things Will Work Out Somehow) (2004). In his documents he often undertakes the subject of death. In an interview for Duży Format (Gazeta Wyborcza) he confessed: „My obsession with death results from the neurosis that I acquired at home, where I experienced conflicts and high pressure” (Gazeta Wyborcza, no. 46/2007). The motif of death recurs in Istnienie (Existence) (2007) – a popular film about dying inspired by the respected actor Jerzy Nowak and his combatting with an incurable disease. Koszałka occupies a special position in the contemporary Polish documentary cinema – he is a charismatic and recognisable figure whose new films are awaited by a dedicated audience. He is also one of the most talented operators in his generation, which was confirmed by two awards granted to him for photos at the film festival in Gdynia – for Pręgi (Welts) (2004) by Magdalena Piekorz and Rewers (Reverse) (2009) by Borys Lankosz. He will take part in the discussion „What cannot be talked about, must be discussed” (with the participation of Przemysław Czapliński, Maciej Zaremba and Joanna Rajkowska).