Andrzej Wajda

Wajda, Andrzej (änˈjā vĪˈdä) [key], 1926–, Polish film director. His films are often studies of Poland's history and its recent or contemporary politics and often concentrate on the national yearning for freedom. They include A Generation (1954), Kanal (1957), Ashes and Diamonds (1958), Man of Marble (1977), Man of Iron (1981), Danton (1982), Korczak (1990), Pan Tadeusz (1999), and Katyn (2007). Wajda, who is also a theater director, was active in Polish politics after the end of Communist rule, serving in the senate (1989–91) and as chairman of Poland's Cultural Council (1992–94). In 2000 he received a special lifetime-achievement Academy Award.

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