Witold Sobociński (; 15 October 1929 – 19 November 2018) was a Polish cinematographer, academic teacher as well as former jazz musician. Sobociński was a graduate of the renowned
National Film School in Łódź
National may refer to:
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** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
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. While in college, he was a member of the pioneer jazz band
Melomani Melomani (English: ''Music lovers''), also known as Hot-Club Melomani, was a pioneer Poland, Polish jazz band, created by the first self-styled Polish jazz musicians.
It was founded in 1951 (or, according to other sources, in 1947) in Łódź, in t ...
, in which he played the drums.
After graduation, he worked with
Polish Television
Telewizja Polska S.A. (; "Polish Television"; TVP), also known in English as the public Polish Television is a Polish state media corporation. It is the largest Polish television network, although viewership has been declining in the 2010s.
Sinc ...
and Film Studios Czolowka, as a cameraman. In 1967 he debuted as a cinematographer. Sobociński cooperated with several notable directors, including
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the ...
,
Krzysztof Zanussi
Krzysztof Pius Zanussi (born 17 June 1939) is a Polish film and theatre director, producer and screenwriter. He is a professor of European film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland where he conducts a summer workshop. He is ...
and
Roman Polanski
Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a (né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two ...
. He was a lecturer at the film school in Łódź from 1980 until his death in 2018. He was known for his forward and uncompromising teaching style, his emphasis on narrative over visual beauty, and his commitment to film education. Sobociński was awarded several prizes; he also co-produced a number of notable movies. Just over a week before his death, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the prestigious
Camerimage
The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage () is a festival dedicated to the celebration of cinematography and recognition of its creators, cinematographers. The first seven events (1993–1999) were held in Toruń, ...
film festival.
His son
Piotr Sobociński
Piotr Sobociński (; 3 February 1958 – 26 March 2001) was a Polish cinematographer. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for '' Three Colours: Red'' in 1994. Sobociński was the son of Polish cinematographer Witol ...
(1958 – 2001) was also a cinematographer.
Selected filmography
* ''
The Adventures of Gerard
''The Adventures of Gerard'' is a 1970 British-Italian-Swiss adventure comedy film directed by Jerzy Skolimowski and starring Peter McEnery, Claudia Cardinale, Eli Wallach and Jack Hawkins. It was based on the 1896 collection '' The Exploits of ...
'' (1970)
* ''
Family Life
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...
'' (''Życie rodzinne''; 1971)
* ''
The Wedding'' (''Wesele''; 1972)
* ''
The Hourglass Sanatorium
''The Hourglass Sanatorium'' ( pl, Sanatorium pod klepsydrą) is a 1973 Polish surrealist film directed by Wojciech Jerzy Has, starring Jan Nowicki, Tadeusz Kondrat, Mieczysław Voit, Halina Kowalska and Gustaw Holoubek. It is also known as ''The ...
'' (''Sanatorium pod klepsydrą''; 1973)
* ''
The Promised Land'' (''Ziemia obiecana''; 1975)
* ''
O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization'' (''O-bi, o-ba: Koniec cywilizacji''; 1985)
* ''
Pirates
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
'' (1986)
* ''
Frantic'' (1988)
* ''
Torrents of Spring
''Torrents of Spring'', also known as ''Spring Torrents'' (russian: Вешние воды ''Veshniye vody''), is an 1872 novella by Ivan Turgenev. It is highly autobiographical in nature, and centers on a young Russian landowner, Dimitry Sanin ...
'' (1989)
* ''
The Gateway of Europe
''The Gateway of Europe'' ( pl, Wrota Europy) is a Polish historical film. It was released in 1999. In 2001, it received Polish Film Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.
Plot
In January 1918, three vol ...
'' (''Wrota Europy''; 1999)
References
External links
*
Witold Sobociński profileat the Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers
10 Most Important Movies of Witold Sobociński
1929 births
2018 deaths
Melomani members
People from Ozorków
Polish cinematographers
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