Wieslaw Saniewski graduated from the University of Wroclaw and the National Film School in Lodz. He started his career as a journalist and film critic. In the 1970s he was a close collaborator of Andrzej Wajda. Author of four books and about twenty screenplays, he directed his first film Freelance Journalist in 1981, followed by the critically acclaimed Custody (1983), Season of Dead Birds (1985), The Touched (1985). His early works as well as his work in the theater are censored by the communist regime. After the fall of the regime, he is recognized as the major representative of Polish cinema with more than 60 awards in Poland or abroad. In 2017, he received the Grand Prix of Nations at the Taormina Festival for his entire career.

“Saniewski is a true revelation of the eighties in our cinema. He feels at home in film language and understands its principles and requirements.” Fakty, Bydgoszcz