Agnieszka Holland’s life and career reflect the journey of a woman whose passion, strength, and creativity have influenced how we see moral and political issues in movies.
A talented ambitious woman who is proud to be Polish, but forced to live in exile by political events beyond her control. A European at heart who has experienced first-hand the dilemmas created by national borders that are in conflict with religious and cultural boundaries.
Political turbulence
Born in communist Poland, Holland grew up in a world defined by political repression and personal limitations. She was not permitted to further her studies at the National Film School in Łódź, Poland. Undeterred, she left Poland and moved to Prague, where she graduated from FAMU, the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts, in 1971.
Early Career
After her return to Poland, Holland began her filmmaking career as an assistant to Krzysztof Zanussi, aligning herself with the “cinema of moral anxiety,” a group of young directors committed to addressing the social and political struggles of the time. She found a mentor in the great Polish director Andrzej Wajda and soon began directing her own films. Her first TV film, An Evening at Abdon (1975), paved the way for her debut feature film, Provincial Actors (1978), which was celebrated internationally, earning her the International Critics’ Prize at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.
Emigration and international breakthrough
The late 1970s and early 1980s were a time of great tension in Poland. The country was facing severe economic hardship, with food shortages, inflation and widespread discontent among the people. The Communist government, under Soviet influence, struggled to maintain control as protests and strikes, particularly in shipyards and factories, became more frequent. Life was difficult due to the repressive political climate, censorship, and lack of basic freedoms, leading to growing unrest and the eventual formation of the Solidarity movement, which demanded political and social reforms. Holland’s subsequent films, Fever (1980) and A Lonely Woman (1981), tackled these issues directly, portraying characters caught up in the turmoil of a repressive state. However, when martial law was declared in December 1981, the Polish government banned her films, and Holland, who was promoting her work abroad at the time, made the difficult decision not to return. Forced into exile, she settled in France and continued her filmmaking career.
Themes
In 1985, Holland gained international recognition with her film Angry Harvest, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. This marked the beginning of her global career, which saw her explore themes of identity, morality, and faith in increasingly diverse settings. Her 1990 film Europa Europa, the story of a Jewish boy who survives the Holocaust by posing as a Nazi, won a Golden Globe and earned her a second Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Screenplay.
Over the next decades, Holland’s work continued to break boundaries. She directed films like Olivier, Olivier(1992), The Secret Garden (1993), Total Eclipse (1995), and Washington Square (1997), showcasing her versatility across genres. In 2011, her film In Darkness brought her a third Oscar nomination, while Spoor(2016), based on Olga Tokarczuk’s novel, won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
From film to television
Her collaboration with close friends and fellow filmmakers, such as Krzysztof Kieślowski, with whom she co-wrote the Three Colors trilogy, and Andrzej Wajda, further deepened her connection to Poland’s cinematic legacy. At the same time, she expanded her career into television, directing episodes for some of the most acclaimed series of the 21st century, including The Wire and Treme, as well as The Killing and Cold Case. Her work on the mini-series Burning Bush, which explored the Prague Spring, was particularly personal, reflecting her deep ties to the Czech Republic and its history.
Moral vision
Her latest film, The Green Border, premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Prize. It serves as a testament to her unwavering dedication to exploring moral complexity in the face of political conflict.
Despite the many challenges she faced — from political censorship to exile — Holland never wavered in her commitment to telling stories that matter. Her films not only make audiences think but also touch their hearts, forcing them to confront difficult truths about the world and themselves. Whether exploring the horrors of war, the pain of exile, or the moral dilemmas of everyday life, Holland’s work consistently reflects her belief in the power of cinema to inspire empathy and awaken the conscience.
Bożena Kopczyńska September 2024
