Warsaw. The French ambassador awarded Polish filmmakers with the Orders of Art and Literature
Film producer Irena and director Jan Komasa Strzałek were awarded the Order of Arts and Literature by the French ambassador, Frédéric Billet, on Wednesday. From 1957, highlighting materials such as people of merit for the cultural cooperation of France with other countries.
Celebration of learning. at the French residence in Poland, the Ambassador of the Republic of France, Frédéric Billet, recalled that the Order of Arts and Letters is awarded by the French Minister of Culture in recognition of merits in the artistic and literary field and for contributing to the development of various fields of art in France and in the world. The order was achieved in 1957. In recent years, numerous Polish artists, journalists and cultural activists have been awarded awards, including: Andrzej Seweryn, Małgorzata Omilanowska, Piotra Skubiszewski, Marcin Frybes, Maciej Morawski and Anna Parzymies.
Listing the merits of Irena Strzałkowska, the ambassador to France recalled her relationship with French culture and cinema. Irena Strzałkowska, after studying how to create a job as an attaché at the Permanent Representation of Poland to UNESCO. In 1990 he became deputy director of the legendary “Tor” Film Studio. A year later, the studio produced a cooperation with France for the farm in Cannes, Krzysztof Kieślowski’s film “Double Life of Weronika”.
“Thanks to your efforts, France was able to make its honorable contribution to the success of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s masterpiece, the White trilogy” and the red trilogy, which, in order to be able to refer to the flag of France and the French revolution. In many interviews, you describe this cycle as universal and reaching the sensibilities of people all over the world, regardless of their place and place of residence “- the ambassador’s slogan. Irena Strzałkowska works at the Polish Film Academy and the European Film Academy. The Ambassador recalled that Irena Strzałkowska was involved in the renewal of the Polish-French film co-production agreement, which was signed in March 2012. “You are a great friend of France” – summed up Ambassador Billet.
Thanking Irena Strzałkowska for granting the award, that the awarding of the award is an appreciation of the merits of all Polish films associated with French cinematography. She recalled that contacts between the films of both countries were established in 1970. “I think that since then there have been many common features that are common to Poland and France,” she was awarded.
Jan Komasa is considered to be one of the most talented directors of the young generation. As a student, he received the Cinéfondation award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 for his etude “It’s fun that you are”. In 2014, his film “Miasto 44”, devoted to the Warsaw Uprising, was released. Addressing the decorated ambassador of France that these are “long-lasting testimonies of those days of Polish history”. His next film “Corpus Christi” was co-produced with France and received support as part of the “Aide aux cinémas du monde” of the French National du cinéma et de l’image animée Center. The film, shown in French cinemas, was also nominated for the Caesar Awards for Foreign Film. In 2020, “Corpus Christi” nominated for an Oscar in the category of the best international full-length film. “The most important place in your films is occupied by the human. You draw portraits of young people with great sensitivity, often lonely and lost all over the world ”- Ambassador to France.
“It is a distinction that is awarded to me by the country thanks to which I had my adventure with the film” – said Jan. He stressed that the cooperation between France and Poland favoring the building of England. “I see culture now, which has saved us from fear, acting and tyranny,” said the director. He also thanked his father, who in 2004 lent him funds to finance his measurement of the Cannes Film etude. “We meet at the embassy in France for tennis later,” added Jan Komasa.