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: Common uses * Nation or country ** 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 * National, Maryland, ...

. While in college, he was a member of the pioneer jazz band Melomani, in which he played the drums. After graduation, he worked with

Polish Television Television in Poland was Timeline of the introduction of television in countries, introduced on an experimental basis in 1937. It was state owned, and was interrupted by the Second World War in 1939. Television returned to Poland in 1952 and for ...

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 "P ...

, Krzysztof Zanussi and

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...

. 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 film festival. His son Piotr Sobociński (1958 – 2001) was also a cinematographer.

Selected filmography

* '' The Adventures of Gerard'' (1970) * '' Family Life'' (''Życie rodzinne''; 1971) * '' The Wedding'' (''Wesele''; 1972) * '' The Hourglass Sanatorium'' (''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 valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

'' (1986) * '' Frantic'' (1988) * '' Torrents of Spring'' (1989) * '' The Gateway of Europe'' (''Wrota Europy''; 1999)

References

External links

*
Witold Sobociński profile
at the Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers
10 Most Important Movies of Witold Sobociński
1929 births 2018 deaths Melomani members People from Ozorków Polish cinematographers {{cinematographer-stub