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Slawomir Idziak

Slawomir Idziak

Cinematographer and writer · Born January 25, 1945 (81) · Katowice, Poland

Oscar nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 2 other major award bodies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sławomir Idziak (Polish pronunciation: [swaˈvɔmir ˈid͡ʑak]; born 25 January 1945 in Katowice, Poland) is a Polish cinematographer and director who has worked on over forty Polish and foreign films. He has made fourteen films with Krzysztof Zanussi, including Kontrakt (The Contract), The Constant Factor and The Year of the Quiet Sun. He worked on all the early films of Krzysztof Kieślowski, including his television, feature film and foreign debuts, additionally, the two collaborated on A Short Film About Killing, The Double Life of Véronique and Three Colors: Blue. He has made films with such directors as Ridley Scott, John Sayles, Michael Winterbottom and John Duigan, and has also written and directed two films himself. He worked on Winterbottom's film I Want You, where he won an Honourable Mention at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival. He moved to more mainstream films such as Gattaca (1997), Proof of Life (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), and King Arthur (2004). In 2002, he was nominated for an Academy Award as well as a BAFTA for 'Best Cinematography' in the film Black Hawk Down. Idziak was the director of photography for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth film adaptation of J.K. Rowling's popular fantasy series, directed by David Yates. He is also Director of Photography for Battle of Warsaw 1920 - the first of his films, and the first ever Polish-language feature film, to be shot in 3D. Sławomir Idziak teaches at film schools in Berlin, London and Copenhagen, and also conducts seminars in cinematography in other countries. He is currently working on a Virtual Film Studio Web site called Film Spring Open which gives users an opportunity to present work to global audiences and to make films online. Participants can share ideas, exchange equipment or write scripts together. The aim is to create an international community of filmmakers who will support each other, make films together and will care about the advertising and distribution of their films.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 25, 1945 (81)
From
Katowice, Poland
Works as
Cinematographer and writer
Titles
18 on MovieCove · 70 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 27% in 30 days

What are Slawomir Idziak's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
25%
Morality
20%
Survival
17%
Society
15%
Bonds
11%
Power
8%
Ideas
3%
Faith4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 4 · Dark 13

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 4

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 11 · Intense 7

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 4

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 1 · Affecting 7 · Heavy 10

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 8 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
14
Tense
9
Contemplative
9
Dread
4
Hopeful
4
Other
10

How their films linger

Haunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous2
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Slawomir Idziak's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Slawomir Idziak's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

70 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • A Tale of Love and Darkness(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Measuring the World(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Battle of Warsaw 1920 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Cinematographer

  • Bonnes vacances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Thanks

  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(2007)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • King Arthur(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Black Hawk Down(2001)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Proof of Life(2000)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • LiebesLuder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • Paranoid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • The Last September (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Cinematographer

  • Love & Rage(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Men with Guns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Cinematographer

  • I Want You(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Gattaca(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Commandments(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Lilian's Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Cinematographer

  • Männerpension (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Cinematographer

  • Tears of Stone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • The Journey of August King(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Enak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director · Writer

  • Three Colors: Blue(1993)

    Cinematographer · Co-Writer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Das lange Gespräch mit dem Vogel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Cinematographer

  • The Double Life of Véronique(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Napoleon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 6 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Dekalog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • Inventory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Cinematographer

  • Decalogue V (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • Wherever You Are... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Cinematographer

  • Yasemin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Cinematographer

  • A Short Film About Killing(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Sarah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Cinematographer

  • Harmagedon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Cinematographer

  • Paradigma(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • A Year of the Quiet Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • Der Fall Bachmeier - Keine Zeit für Tränen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • Jagger und Spaghetti (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • Bajki na dobranoc (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Imperative (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

  • The Contract (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

  • Versuchung (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

  • From a Far Country(1981)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Meta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Assistant Camera

  • The Constant Factor(1980)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Conductor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Cinematographer

  • Seans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Nauka latania (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director · Writer

  • Krótka podróż (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Cinematographer

  • The Scar(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Niemen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Cinematographer

  • Slate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Cinematographer

  • A Woman's Decision (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Cinematographer

  • Departures, Returns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

  • Pedestrian Subway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Cinematographer

  • The Wedding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Camera Operator

  • Papierowy ptak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Jeszcze słychać śpiew. I rżenie koni... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Cinematographer

  • Piżama (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Cinematographer

  • Cicha noc, święta noc (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Cinematographer · Screenplay

  • There Is No Return, Johnny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Camera Operator

  • Podróżni jak inni (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Cinematographer

  • Mountains at Dusk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Cinematographer

  • The Criminal Who Stole a Crime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Assistant Camera

  • The Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Assistant Camera · as Małgorzata's Lover (uncredited)

  • Cheerful Ludwika (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Cinematographer

  • Jowita (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Mirek

  • Heart Attack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Cinematographer

  • 13 piętro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Groom (uncredited)

  • Everyone Gets What They Don't Need (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Cinematographer

  • An old beggar with a hurdy-gurdy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 70 titles, 69 of them dated from 1966 to 2015.

Biggest box office

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

$939M worldwide

Highest rated

Three Colors: Blue (1993)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting3 of 70: 2 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting6 of 70: 0 only directing, 6 with another roleWriting8 of 70: 0 only writing, 8 with another roleCinematography56 of 70: 52 only cinematography, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score58thOther crew8 of 70: 5 only other crew, 3 with another role

70 titles, 11 with more than one role — cinematography and other crew overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1960s7 · 3 acting · 5 crew1970s17 · crew1980s20 · crew1990s13 · crew2000s9 · crew2010s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

2 major awards from 4 major nominations, 1993–2002.

WinNomination
  1. 2002
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  2. 1998
    • Berlinale award, won
  3. 1993
    • Venice award, won · Best Cinematography

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Slawomir Idziak's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 18; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 18 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 18 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · cinematographer

From a Far Country (1981)

69th percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer, cinematographer

Three Colors: Blue (1993)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 80/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 64. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Slawomir Idziak's work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles24–92 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles12–72 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles18–75 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles19–37 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense7 titles30–93 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Slawomir Idziak work with?

People who share at least 2 of Slawomir Idziak's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Krzysztof Kieślowski shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles