Born: 25 January 1945, Katowice, Poland, as Slawomir Andrzej Idziak.

Education: PWSFTviT, Lódz [graduated in 1968].

Career: Started as c.op at Studio Malych Form Filmowych 'Semafor' in Lódz. Also active as director. Appeared in the doc 'Das Auge der Erinnerung - Ansichten von Slawomir Idziak' [2000, Hans Steinbichler & Florian Vogel; 25m; prod HFFM]. Book: 'Ein Architekt der Sinnlichkeit - Die Farbwelten des Kameramanns Slawomir Idziak' [2007, Schüren Verlag].

Awards: As doph: Gdansk-Gdynia Polish FF TV Award [1974] for 'Odejscia, powroty' [part 3: 'Tak bardzo zmeczeni']; Gdansk-Gdynia Polish FF [1976] for 'Partita na instrument drewniany'; Venice FF 'Osella d'oro' [1993] & 'César' nom [1994] for 'Trois couleurs: Bleu'; Camerimage 'Golden Frog' nom [1996] for 'Lilian’s Story'; Berlin IFF 'Special Mention' [1998] & Camerimage 'Golden Frog' nom [1998] for 'I Want You'; Camerimage 'Golden Frog' nom [1999] for 'The Last September'; 'Oscar' AA nom [2002], BAFTA Film Award nom [2002] & AFI [USA] Film Award nom [2002] for 'Black Hawk Down'; Special 'Orzel' Award [2002], Marburger Kamerapreis [2004]; Camerimage 'Special Award' [2004].

As dir: Awards for 'Nauka latania' [1978 & 1979, Poznan], 'Seans' [1979] & 'Enak' [1992, Gdansk-Gdynia Polish FF].

Slawomir Idziak: 'Our country was for so many years in seclusion, so somehow we had to use a different system... it was first of all grounded in the film schools, in which we had only two departments: the director department and the cinematographer department, so these two people were at the head of the productions. In Poland the cinematographer is number two, and starts work on the project very early. The director is expecting a collaborator in terms of translating the story he has in mind to a kind of visual work. So it was something very unusual when I all of a sudden realized that here in the West it was the director who was telling the cinematographer 'put the camera here'. I mean it's two different professions and I really don't believe, with some exceptions of course as usual, that it's possible to have total control of the actors and the flow of the story and deciding about a single particular take and the lens and the visual part of it. In being a director you shouldn't be too close because very quickly you are losing the sense of the wholeness, the most important element of the profession [and I am someone who has directed as well]. As cinematographer I should be one who observes what happens on the location from the seat of the average spectator. So I really believe in creative group work, and somehow our example in the Polish cinema, where we are really creative partners of the director, is a very good example. It works.'

*****

''Decalogue' [1987] is a very interesting story because in a way I didn't want to do 'A Short Film About Killing'. Kieslowski approached me and gave me [the choice] of all ten films. The problem was it was planned as a 16mm television series and for a Polish cinematographer doing 16mm is a nightmare because the quality of our laboratories is very low and I decided to do number 9, a very simple story about love and jealousy. Then Kieslowski told me, "I know your trick, the moment I'm ready to do number 9, you'll be abroad and have no time to do it. And now when I'm ready to do 'A Short Film About Killing' [number 5] you won't do it!" I said to Kieslowski, "Listen why do I have to do it; after half an hour one person gets killed, after another half an hour another person gets killed in prison. It's a terrible story! Why do I have to do it?" But he's a very stubborn person and he persuaded me to do it. I told him, "O.K. I will do the film on the condition that I do it green and using all my filters and I have an idea to do it very strong," and Kieslowski was very angry and he says, "I don't want to have it green! I'm doing ten films; I can't have all of a sudden one green!" So I said, "It's up to you. Either I do it green, or I don't do it." The next day he came to me and said, "I'm doing ten films, O.K. If one has to be green, let it be shit green. It's your decision. Do it green." And, you know, it's the first time in my life that it happened: a director telling me, do what you want.' [From article by Lindsay Amos in 'Cinema Papers', Australia, August 1995.]

1965        Pilot Station [Marek Piestrak; doc] c.asst; ph: Andrzej Jaroszewicz

1965        Wyjscie/Sen [Grzegorz Królikiewicz] b&w; short/4m

1966        Dzien zwyciestwa [Marek Piestrak; short] c.asst; ph: Edward Klosinski

1966        Kazdemu to, czego mu wcale nie trzeba/Kapiel [Grzegorz Królikiewicz] b&w; short/12m

1966        Niebo [Juan Manuel Torres; short] c.asst; ph: Edward Klosinski

1966        Wygrana, przegrana/Park [Raszko Uzunow] b&w; short/8m; cph: Edward Klosinski

1967        Wagary [Jacek Butrymowicz] b&w; short/23m

1967        Zawal serca/Heart Attack [Wojciech Wiszniewski] b&w; short/7m

1969        Wino mszalne [Witold Orzechowski] co-scrpl only; ph: Zdzislaw Kaczmarek

1968        Wesola Ludwika [Teresa Badzian] c; anim/10m

1970        Franciszek Leczycki [Henryk Rewkiewicz] b&w; doc/398mtr

1970        To trud zrodzil urode [Edmund Z. Szaniawski] c; doc/435mtr

1971        Jeszcze slychac spiew. I rzenie koni... [Mieczyslaw Waskowski] b&w-c

1974        Bilans kwartalny/Quarterly Balance [Krzysztof Zanussi] c

1974        Profile [Krzysztof Rogulski] ?; doc/?m

1975        Partita na instrument drewniany/Partita for a Wooden Instrument [Janusz Zaorski] c

1976        Blizna/The Scar [Krzysztof Kieslowski] c

1976        Klaps/Slate [Krzysztof Kieslowski] c; doc/6m; cph: Stanislaw Igar, Leszek Pieszko, a.o.

1978        Nauka latania/Flying Lessons [Slawomir Idziak] c; cph: Andrzej Poplawski & Janusz Zachwajewski; + scrpl

1979        Dyrygent/Orchestra Conductor/The Conductor [Andrzej Wajda] c

1980        Constans/The Constant Factor [Krzysztof Zanussi] c

1980        Kontrakt/The Contract [Krzysztof Zanussi] c

1983        Jagger und Spaghetti [Karsten Wichniarz] c

1983        Der Fall Bachmeier - Keine Zeit für Tränen [Hark Bohm] c

1984        Rok spokojnego slonca/The Year of the Quiet Sun/Das Jahr der ruhenden Sonne [Krzysztof Zanussi] c

1985        Wie ein freier Vogel [Hark Bohm] 16mm/c

1985        Harmagedon [Juha Rosma] c

1985        Sarah [Reginald Puhl] c; cph: Klaus Beckhausen, Michael Marszalek & Dragan Rogulj

1986        Erloschene Zeiten/Wygasle czasy [Krzysztof Zanussi] c; dram doc/60m

1986        Gute Nacht [Gerhard Schmidt] c; short/15m

1987        Krótki film o zabijaniu/A Short Film About Killing [Krzysztof Kieslowski] c; expanded (84m) ep #5 of tv-series

                    'Dekalog/Decalogue'

1987        Yasemin [Hark Bohm] c

1988        Wherever You Are.../Gdzieskolwiek jest, jeslis jest… [Krzysztof Zanussi] c; cph: William Lubtchansky

1989        Stan posiadania/Inventory/Liebesfesseln [Krzysztof Zanussi] c

1990        La double vie de Véronique/Podwójne zycie Weroniki [Krzysztof Kieslowski] c

1992        Trois couleurs: Bleu/Trzy kolory: Niebieski [Krzysztof Kieslowski] c

1994        Traumstreuner [Erwin Michelberger] c; cph: Paul Ellmerer

1994        The Journey of August King [John Duigan] c

1994        Tár úr steini/Tears of Stone [Hilmar Oddsson] c; action ph; ph: Sigurdur Sverrir Pálsson

1995        Lilian's Story [Jerzy Domaradzki] c

1995        Männerpension/Jailbirds [Detlev W. Buck] c; 2uc: Sophie Maintigneux

1995        Commandments [Daniel Taplitz] c

1996        Gattaca [Andrew Niccol] s35/c

1997        Men with Guns/Hombres armados [John Sayles] c

1997        I Want You/Beloved [Michael Winterbottom] p/c; uwph: Mark Silk

1997        Love and Rage [Cathal Black] c

1998        The Last September [Deborah Warner] c

1999        Paranoid [John Duigan] c

1999        LiebesLuder/Bundle of Joy [Detlev W. Buck] c

2000        Proof of Life [Taylor Hackford] s35/c; 2uc: Lukasz Jogalla; aph: John Marzano

2000        Sass [Carlo Rola] announced as doph, but replaced by Martin Langer

2001        Black Hawk Down [Ridley Scott] s35/c; 2uc: Alexander Witt; aph: John Marzano

2003        King Arthur [Antoine Fuqua] s35/c; 2uc: Daniele Massaccesi; aph: John Marzano

2004        Clap Project [idea: Krzysztof Kieslowski] exp film with scenes submitted by several doph; shot, ed & shown during

                    Camerimage FF, 2004

2006        Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix [David Yates] s35 & 70bu (IMAX)/c; 2uc: Mike Brewster; aph: Adam Dale;

                    model unit ph: Nigel Stone

1969        Podrózni jak inni [Wojciech Marczewski] tvm/b&w/28m

1970        Cicha noc, swieta noc [Marek Piestrak] tvm/b&w/24m; + co-scrpl

1970        Góry o zmierzchu [Krzysztof Zanussi] tvm/b&w/28m; spec ph: Andrzej Galinski & Jerzy Surdel

1971        Pizama [Antoni Krauze] tvm/b&w/29m

1971        Meta/The Pad [Antoni Krauze] tvm/b&w; cph: Edward Klosinski

1971        Papierowy ptak/Paper Bird [Slawomir Idziak] tvm/50m; + scrpl

1973        Odejscia, powroty [ep #3 'Tak bardzo zmeczeni' dir by Wojciech Marczewski] 3-part series; other ph: Jacek Prosinski

1973        Przejscie podziemne/Pedestrian Subway [Krzysztof Kieslowski] tvm/b&w/28m

1976        Krótka podróz [Krzysztof Rogulski] tvm/43m

1977        Powrót [Filip Bajon] tvm/56m

1981        Da un paese lontano - Papa Giovanni Paolo II/From a Far Country: Pope John Paul II/Z dalekiego kraju

                    [Krzysztof Zanussi] tvm

1981        Versuchung/Pokuszenie [Krzysztof Zanussi] tvm

1981        Imperativ/Imperatyw [Krzysztof Zanussi] tvm/b&w-c

1982        Die Unerreichbare/The Unapproachable [Krzysztof Zanussi] tvm/16mm; also released theatrically

1982        Città del Vaticano [Krzysztof Zanussi] ?; doc/55m; ep series 'Capitali culturali d'Europa'

1983        Blaubart/Sinobrody [Krzysztof Zanussi] tvm/16mm

1987        Dekalog/Decalogue [ep five/piec (57m) dir by Krzysztof Kieslowski] 10-part series; other ph: Wieslaw Zdort, Witold

                    Adamek, Dariusz Kuc, Piotr Sobocinski, a.o.; ep #5 was expanded into the feature film 'Krótki film o zabijaniu'; see

                    Films (1987)

1990        Napoléon et l'Europe [ep #3 (52m) 'Maria Walewska' dir by Krzysztof Zanussi & #5 (49m) 'Moskwa' dir by Janusz

                    Majewski] 6-part miniseries/16mm; other ph: Grzegorz Kedzierski, Elso Roque, a.o.

1990        Das lange Gespräch mit dem Vogel/Dluga rozmowa z ptakiem [Krzysztof Zanussi] tvm/16mm

1993        Weltmeister [Zoran Solomun] tvm/16mm

1993        Ein Bett für drei [Bettina Woernle] tvm/60m

1966        Trzynaste pietro/13 pietro [Edward Etler; tvm/13m] actor; ph: Jan Laskowski

1967        Jowita [Janusz Morgenstern; feature] actor; ph: Jan Laskowski

1968        Gra [Jerzy Kawalerowicz] co-c.asst (+ small part); ph: Jan Laskowski

1969        Nie ma powrotu Johnny [Kaveh Pur Rahnama] 2nd op; ph: Kazimierz Wawrzyniak

1969        Zbrodniarz, który ukradl zbrodnie/The Criminal Who Stole a Crime [Janusz Majewski] co-c.asst; ph: Antoni

                    Nurzynski

1972        Wesele/The Wedding [Andrzej Wajda] co-c.op; ph: Witold Sobocinski

1985        Paradigma/Le pouvoir du mal/Il potere del male [Krzysztof Zanussi] as ph cons; ph: Pierluigi Santi

2005        Lou [Anja Ehrhardt, Karim Patwa, a.o.] mdv/c; short/28m; as mentor; ph: Adrian Cranage, Matthias Bolliger, a.o.; prod

                    Kölner Filmhaus & Focal

1970        Spojrzenie/Look [doc/9m/b&w; + co-scrpl] ph: Edward Klosinski

1971        Papierowy ptak/Paper Bird [+ scrpl/ph] see Television

1971        Z kregu czarów sztuki/Inside Art's Magic Circle [doc/14m] ph: Jacek Prosinski

1972        Pan... dziad z lira/Master Beggar with a Lyre [co-d: Andrzej Kotkowski; doc/18m; + co-scrpl] ph: Maria Wituska

1973        Z czterech stron [doc/?m] ph: Michal Bukojemski, Jacek Zygadlo & Krzysztof Langda

1977        Seans/Seance [tvm/73m; + co-scrpl] ph: Michal Bukojemski

1978        Nauka latania/Flying Lessons/Learning to Fly [+ scrpl/cph] see Films

1979        Debiut/Debut [short/22m; + scrpl] ph: Jacek Zygadlo  

1980        Bajki na dobranoc [tvm/73m; + scrpl] ph: Piotr Kwiatkowski

1982        La piste [16mm/c; short/15m] ph: Gil Moizon

1992        Enak [tvm/b&w-c; + scrpl] ph: Andrzej Jaroszewicz