{{Short description|Polish film and theater director}} {{Infobox person | name = Lech Majewski | image = Lech Majewski portrait ©Lech Majewski.jpg | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|08|30}} | birth_place = Stalinogród, Polish People's Republic | education = Łódź Film School | website = {{URL|lechmajewski.com}} }}

'''Lech Majewski''' ({{IPA|pl|maˈjɛfski|pron}}, ‘Ma-yev-ski’)<ref>{{Cite web |last=highlike.org |title=LECH MAJEWSKI {{!}} highlike |url=https://highlike.org/text/lech-majewski/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |language=en}}</ref> (born 30 August 1953) is a Polish-American poet, filmmaker, media artist, writer, and theater director. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

== Biography ==

Lech Majewski was born in Katowice, Poland.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

His experimental film ''Wojaczek'' (1999) <ref>{{Cite news |last=Scott |first=A. O. |date=2001-03-31 |title=FILM FESTIVAL REVIEWS; A Poet Whose Death Wish Eventually Comes True |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/31/movies/film-festival-reviews-a-poet-whose-death-wish-eventually-comes-true.html?searchResultPosition= |access-date=2025-02-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> received over 20 international awards and was called by The New York Times a "virtuoso achievement." In 2000, Majewski released ''Angelus''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Koehler |first=Robert |date=2002-02-25 |title=Angelus |url=https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/angelus-1200551162/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pendleton |first=Reece |date=2007-09-14 |title=Angelus |url=https://chicagoreader.com/film-tv/angelus/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=Chicago Reader |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Museum exhibitions and video art == Majewski’s works have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Louvre, and the Venice Biennale. In 2006, MoMA hosted a retrospective titled ''Lech Majewski: Conjuring the Moving Image''.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

His video art series ''Blood of a Poet'' premiered at MoMA in 2006 and became part of the 52nd Venice Biennale. The work was later reassembled into the film ''Glass Lips'' (2007),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Musetto |first=V. A. |date=2007-11-09 |title=IT'S QUITE A MOUTHFUL |url=https://nypost.com/2007/11/09/its-quite-a-mouthful/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Musetto |first=V. A. |date=2007-12-30 |title=AND THE BEST FILMS OF 2007 ARE . . . |url=https://nypost.com/2007/12/30/and-the-best-films-of-2007-are/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |language=en-US}}</ref> praised by The New York Times for its "hypnotic expressiveness."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Catsoulis |first=Jeannette |date=2007-11-07 |title=Telling a Tale of Torment, Wordlessly |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/07/movies/07bloo.html |access-date=2025-02-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

== Later works == Majewski’s 2011 film ''The Mill and the Cross'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Musetto |first=V. A. |date=2011-09-14 |title=Artful film should 'Cross' your mind |url=https://nypost.com/2011/09/14/artful-film-should-cross-your-mind/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Neil |date=2011-02-09 |title=The Mill & the Cross: Berlin Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/mill-cross-berlin-review-97627/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> starring Rutger Hauer, Charlotte Rampling, and Michael York, was based on Pieter Bruegel’s painting ''The Way to Calvary'' and received critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. Roger Ebert described it as a "film of great beauty and attention before which words fall silent."<ref>{{Cite web |title=A film before which words fall silent movie review (2011) {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-mill-and-the-cross-2011 |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=www.rogerebert.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

His subsequent works include ''Onirica / Field of Dogs'' <ref>{{Cite web |author=T. H. R. Staff |date=2014-03-27 |title=Field of Dogs: Filmart Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/field-dogs-filmart-review-691633/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> (2014), a contemporary adaptation of Dante’s ''Divine Comedy'', and ''Valley of the Gods'' (2019),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Caranicas |first=Peter |date=2019-09-05 |title=Lech Majewski to Receive Camerimage Directing Award |url=https://variety.com/2019/artisans/markets-festivals/josh-hartnett-john-malkovich-director-and-writer-lech-majewski-to-receive-camerimage-directing-award-1203325374/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Valley of the Gods movie review (2020) {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/valley-of-the-gods-movie-review-2020 |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=www.rogerebert.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McNary |first=Dave |date=2016-03-25 |title=Berenice Marlohe, Keir Dullea Join 'Valley of the Gods' (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/berenice-marlohe-keir-dullea-valley-of-the-gods-1201739004/ |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> featuring John Malkovich and Josh Hartnett.

==Filmography== * ''The Annunciation (Zwiastowanie)'' (1978) writer/director * ''The Knight (Rycerz)'' (1980) writer/director * ''The Flight of the Spruce Goose (Lot Świerkowej Gęsi)'' (1986) writer/director/producer * '' Prisoner of Rio (Więzień Rio)'' (1988), produced between England and Brazil, a fictionalized story of Ronnie Biggs, mastermind of The Great Train Robbery of 1963 writer/director/producer * ''The Gospel According to Harry (Ewangelia według Harry'ego)'' (1992) writer/director/producer * ''Basquiat'' (developed project, eventually credited as co-writer and co-producer) (1996) writer/producer * ''The Roe's Room (Pokój Saren)'' (1998) writer/director/producer/composer/set designer * ''Accident (Wypadek)'' (1998) writer/director/producer * ''Wojaczek'' (aka ''Life Hurts'') (1999) writer/director/editor * ''Angelus'' (2001) writer/director/set designer/composer/editor * ''The Garden of Earthly Delights'' (2004) writer/director/producer/composer * ''Glass Lips'' (2007) (feature film version of the ''Blood of a Poet'' installation (2006)) writer/director/producer/cinematographer/ editor/composer * ''The Mill and the Cross'' (2011) writer/director/producer/cinematographer/set designer/editor/composer * ''Field of Dogs'' / Onirica (2014) writer/director/producer/cinematographer/set designer/editor/composer * ''Valley of the Gods'' (2019)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/majewskis-latest-film-the-valley-of-the-gods-and-its-all-star-cast-to-premiere-at-gdynia-film-festival-7668 |title=Majewski's latest film The Valley of the Gods and its all-star cast to premiere at Gdynia film festival |access-date=2019-09-18}}</ref> writer/director/producer/cinematographer/set designer/editor/composer * ''Brigitte Bardot Forever (Brigitte Bardot cudowna)'' (2021)<ref>{{cite web |last=Calnan |first=Ellie |date=2022-05-17 |title=Phoenix Worldwide boards Lech Majewski's 'Brigitte Bardot Forever' |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/phoenix-worldwide-boards-lech-majewskis-brigitte-bardot-forever/5170683.article |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=Screen }}</ref> writer/director/producer/cinematographer/set designer/editor/composer

== Opera ==

* ''Ubu Rex'' (1995)&nbsp; director * ''Carmen'' (1995)&nbsp; director/producer * ''Pokój Saren'' (1996)&nbsp; composer/librettist/director/producer/set designer/choreographer * ''Carmen (2002)''&nbsp; director/producer * ''Harnasie / King Roger'' (2008) director/set designer

==References== <References/>

==External links== *[http://www.lechmajewski.com/ Personal home page] *{{IMDb name|id=0538107|name=Lech Majewski}} *[http://www.lechmajewski.com/assets/images/portrait01_d.jpg Photograph] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070323171930/http://gfx.filmweb.pl/p/343/po.57133.jpg another photograph] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927231011/http://www.zak-gallery.com/files/file_16_artist_file_en.pdf biography] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927064825/http://www.cinematheque.bc.ca/Jan_Feb_07/majewski.htm Lech Majewski: Conjuring the Moving Image] (Vancouver) *[http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/film_media/2006/LechMajewski.html Lech Majewski: Conjuring the Moving Image] (New York) *[http://www.internationalfilmcircuit.com/majewski/index.html International Film Circuit, inc.] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20100311180517/http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/2007-1/issue5/ar-majewski.html Film Series: Cigarettes and cinema] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070121012049/http://www.zak-gallery.com/exhibitions.php?section=current ŻAK Gallery - ''Blood of a Poet'' installation] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20061017172353/http://www.mcnblogs.com/reeler/archives/2006/05/moma_retrospective_celebrates_nyc_transplant_majewski.html The Reeler May 4 2006] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20130501103906/http://lechmajewski.art.pl/ Personal Polish Home Page] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20131102234124/http://www.culture.pl/web/english/resources-film-full-page/-/eo_event_asset_publisher/eAN5/content/lech-j-majewski culture.pl] *[http://filmpolski.pl/fp/index.php/115648 filmpolski.pl] *[https://web.archive.org/web/19980613232039/http://www.gapp.pl/sol/lechmaj/ Lech Majewski personal site] *[http://www.epoznan.pl/index.php?section=kultura&subsection=wydarzenie&id=8077 epoznan.pl]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Majewski, Lech}} Category:Living people Category:1953 births Category:People from Katowice Category:Polish film directors Category:Polish cinematographers Category:Polish screenwriters Category:Polish film producers Category:Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw alumni