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Andrzej Wajda

Andrzej Wajda

Director and writer, also actor and producer · Died October 9, 2016, aged 90 · Suwałki, Polska

Andrzej Wajda (March 6, 1926 – October 9, 2016) was a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he was possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School" (active circa 1955 to 1963). He was known especially for a trilogy of war films: A Generation (1954), Kanał (1956) and Ashes and Diamonds (1958). Four of his movies were 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). He passed away in 2016 at the age of 90. Description above from the Wikipedia article Andrzej Wajda, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.    

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 6, 1926
Died
October 9, 2016 (aged 90)
From
Suwałki, Polska
Works as
Director and writer, also actor and producer
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 86 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 39 days to Oct 28Down 17% in 30 days

What are Andrzej Wajda's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Power and Survival.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile
: browse their Documentary 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
Power
21%
Survival
21%
Bonds
16%
Morality
15%
Self
13%
Ideas
9%
Society
5%
Romantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 3 · Dark 9

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 3

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 5 · Intense 8

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 11 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 3 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 2

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

Easy watch 3 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Melancholic
9
Dread
6
Warm
4
Contemplative
3
Other
9

How their films linger

Thought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous2

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 Andrzej Wajda's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Andrzej Wajda'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

86 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page; 30 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Kill It and Leave This Town(2020)

    as Old Man on the Train (voice)

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Marek Edelman… And There Was Love in the Ghetto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Co-Director

  • Andrzej Wajda: My Inspirations (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director · as Self

  • Afterimage(2016)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Wróblewski According to Wajda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Walesa: Man of Hope(2013)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Demons Years Later (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · as Self

  • Macbeth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Writer

  • Kręć! Jak kochasz to kręć! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Writer

  • Katyn: 60 Days on the Set (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Sweet Rush (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Screenplay · as Self

  • Katyn(2007)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Solidarność, Solidarność... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Writer · as Self

  • Jan Nowak-Jezioranski: Courier from Warsaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · as Self - Interviewer

  • The Revenge(2002)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Broken Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Lessons of Polish Cinema (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · as Self

  • The Judgement Of Franciszek Kłos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · Writer

  • In the Shadow of Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Thanks

  • Credit and debit. Andrzej Wajda about himself (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · as Self

  • Bigda is Coming! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Last Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Miss Nobody (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director

  • Holy Week (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Nastazja (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Schindler's List(1993)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Ring with a Crowned Eagle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director · Writer

  • Schuld und Sühne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Korczak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director

  • Interrogation(1989)

    Executive Producer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The French as Seen by… (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director

  • The Possessed(1988)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Proust Against Decline (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director

  • Crime and Punishment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · Writer

  • Chronicle of Amorous Accidents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director · Writer

  • Screen Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • A Love in Germany(1983)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Danton(1983)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Man of Iron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Director

  • As the Years Go By, As the Days Go By... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Creator

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

    Director

  • The Maids of Wilko (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director

  • Pogoda domu niechaj będzie z Tobą... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Director

  • Without Anesthesia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director · Screenplay · as TV Show Contestant (uncredited)

  • Ziemia obiecana (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Writer

  • November Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director

  • Screen Tests(1977)

    as Andrzej Wajda

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Man of Marble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director

  • The Dead Class (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director · Writer

  • The Shadow-Line (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Director · Writer

  • The Promised Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director · Screenplay

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

    Director

  • Pilate and Others (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director · Costume Design · Production Design · Screenplay · as Reporter (uncredited)

  • The Third Part of the Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Supervising Art Director

  • Dekameron 40 czyli cudowne przytrafienie pewnego nieboszczyka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Supervising Art Director

  • Mateo Falcone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Supervising Art Director

  • Theatre Macabre(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Adaptation

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows

  • First Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Screenplay

  • The Birch Wood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Landscape After Battle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Swimming Lesson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director · Writer

  • Signs on the Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Supervising Art Director

  • Hunting Flies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • Makbet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • Everything for Sale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Gates to Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • Roly Poly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • The Ashes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Tokyo Olympiad(1965)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Siberian Lady Macbeth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • Love at Twenty(1962)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Interview with Ballmeyer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • Samson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Innocent Sorcerers(1960)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Lotna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director · Writer

  • Ashes and Diamonds(1958)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Kanal(1957)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • A Generation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • I Walk in the Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director · Writer

  • Five Boys from Barska Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Assistant Director

  • Three Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Writer

  • While You Are Asleep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Director · Writer

  • Muzeum Oświęcimskie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Assistant Director

  • The Bad Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Director · Writer

  • The Pottery at Ilza (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Director · Writer

  • Every touch leaves a trace. Alina Szapocznikow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

A full career of 86 titles, 85 of them dated from 1951 to 2020.

Biggest box office

Katyn (2007)

$15M worldwide

Highest rated

Interrogation (1989)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Theatre Macabre (1971)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting6 of 86: 4 only acting, 2 with another roleDirecting69 of 86: 32 only directing, 37 with another role · typical Midcredits score81stWriting39 of 86: 3 only writing, 36 with another role · typical Midcredits score66thProducing1 of 86: 1 only producing, 0 with another roleOther crew11 of 86: 9 only other crew, 2 with another role

86 titles, 37 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 36 of them.

By decade

1950s11 · crew1960s12 · crew1970s21 · 3 acting · 20 crew1980s12 · crew1990s10 · crew2000s10 · 1 acting · 9 crew2010s8 · crew2020s1 · acting

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.

How do Andrzej Wajda's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 82nd percentile, the median of all 16; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 76th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · writer

Theatre Macabre (1971)

60th percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Interrogation (1989)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 76/100 and the pacing 52/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

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.

Who does Andrzej Wajda work with?

People who share at least 2 of Andrzej Wajda's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Pawel Edelman shares the most, 5.

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles