About Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Witold Wajda (Polish: [ˈandʐɛj ˈvajda]; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the "Polish Film School". He was known especially for his trilogy of war films consisting of A Generation (1955), Kanał (1957) and Ashes and Diamonds (1958). Considered one of the world's most renowned filmmakers, his works chronicled his native country's political and social evolution and dealt with the myths of Polish national identity, offering analysis of the universal element of the Polish experience – the struggle to maintain dignity under the most trying circumstances. Four of his films have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film: The Promised Land (1975), The Maids of Wilko (1979), Man of Iron (1981) and Katyń (2007). The Birch Wood was entered into the 7th Moscow International Film Festival where Wajda won the Golden Prize for Direction. For the film, Wajda won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. For this film Wajda was awarded by Alfred Bauer Prize at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.