"Programme Council decided to award this year's Dragon of Dragons to Marcel Łoziński for his absolute fidelity to documentary film, and, within the frames of this fidelity - for widening its means of expression. Firstly, for many years, this widening applied to examining, by the means of documentary cinema, the state of consciousness in a society undergoing political oppression. Later, starting from 1990s., - asking by the documentary film-maker the ultimate questions, about fear, passing of time, about relationships with the loved ones and at the same time, about the right to ask these questions," , this is how the nomination is explained by Professor Tadeusz Lubelski, an eminent film critic and film theoretician.
The Dragon of Dragons award, given for the 19th time this year, is the highest distinction granted by Krakow Film Foundation Programme Council, the organiser of Krakow Film Festival, in recognition for contribution to the development of international cinema in documentary and animated film genre. Among previous winners of the award, there are many prominent film-makers, among others, Werner Herzog, Priit Pärn, Kazimierz Karabasz, Bohdan Kosiński, Bogdan Dziworski, Allan King, Albert Maysles, Jonas Mekas, Helena Trestíková, Stephen and Timothy Quay, Raoul Servais, Jerzy Kucia and Paul Driessen.
Marcel Lozinski, director, documentary film-maker, educator, born in 1940 in Paris. He graduated from the Film and TV Direction Department at Lodz Film School. He was nominated for the Academy Award in 1994 for the film "89 mm from Europe." Winner of the European Film Academy award in 2009 for the film "Poste Restante." Winner of "Paszport Polityki" (Polityka's Passport) for lifetime achievement. Frequently awarded at Krakow Film Festival, and also at festivals in San Francisco, Leipzig, Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney, Montreal, Oberhausen, Nyon and many others around the world. Winner of numerous awards, among others, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage award, Andrzej Wajda Freedom Award, International Award for Independent Films "Grand Off," the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights award. Last year, he was awarded the Medal for Merit to Culture - Gloria Artis. He is a tutor of DOK PRO programme at Wajda School.
The Dragon of Dragons award at Krakow Film Festival has a special significance for Marcel Łoziński: "The festival in Krakow has always been a magical place for me. Permanent and the most important one. For us, it became our strictest, but at the same time, the wisest reviewer - we were afraid of it, but we trusted it the most. In the distant times of Polish People's Republic, it was the only place, where we could confront our films with the audience. Later, our films, considered by the authorities "anti-establishment ones", were shelved.
I used to come to the festival in various roles: a participant with a film to show, a jury member, I handed the Dragon of Dragons to my friend Bohdan Kosiński and to my lecturer from Lodz School, Kazimierz Karabasz. I gave a laudation dedicated to the memory of Wojtek Wiszniewski in 1981. For me, the most beautiful year was 1976. It was the year in which our group was victorious: Tom Zygadło with "A Mic for Everyone," Zbyszek Rybczyński - "New Book," Bohdan Kosiński with "An Etnographic Sketch," Andrzej Zajączkowski with "Boiling Point," Daniel Szczechura - "The Ardent Fingers," Andrzej Brzozowski with "Roadside," Piotr Szulkin for "A Lass and the Devil," Jacek Petrycki for cinematography in three awarded films and me, for "Frontal Impact." In those days, taking into account the message of these films, it was a really courageous jury, with Krzysztof Kieslowski, by no means the chairman. Later, there were many wonderful moments in Krakow, but this collective success of ours in Polish People's Republic was the most important one for us. "
The official award ceremony will be held on May 31, 2016 at the 56th Krakow Film Festival in Krakow. The festival audience will have the opportunity to get acquainted with an extensive selection from the works of the award winner and to participate in his Masterclass.
56th Krakow Film Festival is held from May 29 to June 5, 2016.
