About

Known credits:
59
Birthday:
1956-01-29
Place of birth:
Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland
Website:
N/A

Jan Jakub Kolski

Overview

Jan Jakub Kolski (born 29 January 1956) is a Polish film director, cinematographer, and writer.

Kolski was born in Wrocław, and comes from a family closely connected to cinema. His father, Roman Kolski, and his sister, Ewa Pakulska were film editors. His brother, Włodzimierz Kolski, is a production manager. His paternal grandfather was a film producer. Kolski's wife, Grażyna Błęcka-Kolska is an actress. From age eleven until age fourteen, Kolski lived in a small village, Popielawy, near Tomaszów Mazowiecki and Łódź. Those years became the inspiration for his later films. During the late 1970s, he worked his way through the ranks at a TV station in his home town, ending up as chief director of photography. He then studied cinematography at the famous Film School in Łódź, where he now runs a screenplay workshop. In 2007 he gained his doctoral degree in film art. He's also a lecturer at Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing.

During the 1980s, Kolski made about twenty short films, including Umieranko (A Little Dying); Najpiękniejsza jaskinia świata (The Most Beautiful Cave in the World); Mały dekalog (The Little Ten Commandments), Nie zasmucę serca twego (I Won't Make You Sad), Jak mnie kochasz (How Do You Love Me?), Szkoła przetrwania (The Survival School), Pałkiewicz ma rację (Palkiewicz Is Right), Słowiański świt (The Dawn of the Slavonic Tribes), Ładny dzień (A Nice Day), Idź (Walk). The shorts won many awards in Poland. Many of Kolski's short films documented his passion for mountain climbing and speleology, which earned him a nickname 'The Stuntman of the Polish cinematography'. More recently, Kolski created three film diaries: Zobaczyc jak najwiecej (To see everything), Gdzie jestes Paititi? (Where are you, Paititi?) and Między rajem a ziemią (Between Paradise and Earth) during his journeys to Asia and South America.

Kolski's first feature, Pogrzeb kartofla (The Burial of a Potato), was shot in Popielawy in 1990, and was based on a real story of Kolski's maternal grandfather, Jakub Szewczyk. In that movie, as well as in his subsequent films, Kolski employed his own vision of the world enriched with magic, and is considered to be the founder of the 'magical realism' trend in Polish film making. Since then, Kolski has made many more films, most of them located in the same village or mythical countryside. Among those films are: Pograbek (A Knacker); Magneto; Jańcio Wodnik (Johnnie Aquarius aka Johnnie Waterman); Cudowne miejsce (A Miraculous Place); Grający z talerza (Playing from the Plate); Szabla od komendanta (The Commander's Sword aka Legacy of Steel); and Historia kina w Popielawach (The History of Cinema in Popielawy), which were all based on Kolski's own script. In 1994 Jańcio Wodnik won the Findling Award at the Filmfestival Cottbus.

Known for

Directing
2024 The Maniacs Directing Director N/A
N/A
2021 The Republic of Children Directing Director N/A
N/A
2019 Pardon Directing Director 58
Average
2017 Las, 4 rano Directing Director 58
Average
2015 Wenecja Directing Director N/A
N/A
2014 The Heart and Sweetheart Directing Director 58
Average
2012 To Kill a Beaver Directing Director 58
Average
2010 Venice Directing Director 59
Average
2009 Afonia i pszczoły Directing Director 58
Average
2006 Jasminum Directing Director 59
Average
2005 Solidarność, Solidarność... Directing Director 58
Average
2005 Wielki woz Directing Director N/A
N/A
2003 Pornography Directing Director 58
Average
2000 Keep Away from the Window Directing Director 58
Average
1998 History of Cinema in Popielawy Directing Director 58
Average
1998 Magneto Directing Director 59
Average
1996 ojDADAna Directing Director N/A
N/A
1996 Szabla od komendanta Directing Director 59
Average
1995 The Man Who Reads Music From The Plates Directing Director 59
Average
1994 Johnnie Waterman Directing Director 59
Average
1994 Miraculous Place Directing Director 59
Average
1993 Pograbek Directing Director 59
Average
1990 Burial of a Potato Directing Director 59
Average
1988 A Nice Day Directing Director N/A
N/A
1985 Jak mnie kochasz Directing Director N/A
N/A
1984 A Little Dying Directing Director N/A
N/A
1983 Inauguracja 82 Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
2024 The Maniacs Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2021 The Republic of Children Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
2019 Pardon Writing Screenplay 58
Average
2019 Pardon Writing Story 58
Average
2017 Las, 4 rano Writing Writer 58
Average
2014 The Heart and Sweetheart Writing Writer 58
Average
2010 Venice Writing Writer 59
Average
2009 Afonia i pszczoły Writing Writer 58
Average
2006 Jasminum Writing Writer 59
Average
2005 Solidarność, Solidarność... Writing Writer 58
Average
2003 Pornography Writing Writer 58
Average
1998 History of Cinema in Popielawy Writing Writer 58
Average
1998 Magneto Writing Writer 59
Average
1996 ojDADAna Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
1996 Szabla od komendanta Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1995 The Man Who Reads Music From The Plates Writing Writer 59
Average
1994 Johnnie Waterman Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1994 Miraculous Place Writing Writer 59
Average
1993 Pograbek Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1988 A Nice Day Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
1985 Jak mnie kochasz Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
1984 A Little Dying Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A

Production
2024 The Maniacs Production Producer N/A
N/A
2019 Pardon Production Producer 58
Average
2017 Las, 4 rano Production Producer 58
Average

Art
1988 A Nice Day Art Art Direction N/A
N/A
1988 A Nice Day Art Set Decoration N/A
N/A

Camera
2009 Afonia i pszczoły Camera Camera Operator 58
Average

Crew
2017 Las, 4 rano Crew Cinematography 58
Average
1988 A Nice Day Crew Cinematography N/A
N/A
1985 Jak mnie kochasz Crew Cinematography N/A
N/A
1983 Inauguracja 82 Crew Cinematography N/A
N/A