Master Class: Jacek Petrycki

31.05, 12.00 – 13.30 POTOCKI PALACE – PP 1

free admission

The masterclass of Jacek Petrycki, a renowned cinematographer and director, will be devoted to the impact of documentaries upon the cinematic landscape. This year’s laureate of the Dragon of Dragons will speak about the international response to some of the films he co-created, the importance of archiving, the found footage phenomenon and how these techniques may contribute to the development of authentic narratives in documentary cinema. He will also present a case study – the analysis of the use of documentary photography in feature films on the example of ‘Man of Marble’ by Andrzej Wajda and ‘Black Thursday’ by Antoni Krauze.

Jacek Petrycki (born 1948 in Poznań) is a graduate of the Film School in Łódź and a highly regarded Polish cinematographer and director of documentary films. He is the cinematographer behind many acclaimed feature and documentary films, including 89 mm from Europe, The Visit, Workshop Exercises by Marcel Łoziński, First Love, Talking Heads, and Camera Buff by Krzysztof Kieślowski, as well as Agnieszka Holland’s Fever and A Woman Alone. Since 1987, he has collaborated with British television channels Channel 4 and the BBC.

He is a recipient of several awards, including a BAFTA for Clive Gordon’s The Betrayed, a Golden Frog for Kasia Adamik’s The Offsiders, and multiple distinctions at the Krakow Film Festival. He was also nominated for the European Film Award for Yeşim Ustaoğlu’s Journey to the Sun.

Petrycki is a realist with an extraordinary talent for noticing poetry in everyday life. Whether in documentary or feature films, he approaches cinematography with a documentarian’s eye. He isn’t afraid of tackling difficult subjects; in one interview, he admitted that in documentaries, sometimes one must address frightening realities, and if it serves a purpose, it cannot be avoided. Throughout his career, he has not only honed his skills in cinematography but has also contributed to promoting Polish documentary cinema on the international stage. His passion for cinema and unique perspective on the world make him a respected cinematographer and outstanding educator.

Read the article by Tadeusz Lubelski: “Jacek Petrycki Touch”