Photo: Mafo — CC BY 4.0Source
Ryszard Lenczewski
cinematographer
- June 5, 1948 · Miłków, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
- September 25, 2026
- 78 years
About Ryszard Lenczewski
Ryszard Lenczewski, 78, Polish cinematographer.
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Full Biography
|Ryszard Lenczewski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈrɨʂard lɛnˈtʂɛfskʲi]; 5 June 1948 – 25 September 2026) was a Polish film and television cinematographer with more than 30 feature film credits. Lenczewski was the cinematographer for four of director Paweł Pawlikowski's feature films. His work (with Łukasz Żal) on Pawlikowski's Ida (2014) has been widely recognized, garnering nominations for both the Academy Award and the BAFTA Award.
Life and career
In 1974 he graduated from the Cinematography Department of the National Film School in Łódź. In 2005 he obtained a postdoctoral degree in film art, and on 7 October 2010 he was awarded the title of professor. From 2008 to 2014 he was the deputy dean of the Cinematography Department at the National Film School in Łódź. He was a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the European Film Academy and from 2015, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Lenczewski began working in the film industry as a cinematographer for school etudes and documentaries. In later years he collaborated with such directors as Bogdan Dziworski, Jerzy Domaradzki, Lech Majewski, Janusz Morgenstern, Tadeusz Junak, Laco Adamik, Andrzej Barański, Juliusz Machulski, Izabella Cywińska, Zbigniew Kamiński, Wiesław Saniewski, Grzegorz Królikiewicz, Ryszard Ber, Krzysztof Zanussi, Jacek Bromski, John Crowley, Pawel Pawlikowski, Uri Barbash, Kenneth Lonergan, Rowan Joffé, Joe Wright, Charles Beeson and others.
In 1980 he received an award at the Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdańsk for cinematography for the film Pałac. In 1997 he was awarded a BAFTA Cymru for Wojenna narzeczona, and in 2001 he was nominated for the BAFTA Film Awards for the miniseries Anna Karenina. My Summer of Love brought him the nomination for the European Film Award. In 2004 he received the TV Award of the British Academy in the category of photography and lighting for the movie Charles II: The Power and the Passion.
In 2013, he worked with Łukasz Żal on the award-winning film Ida. The authors of the photographs for this production have been honored, among others Oscar nominations in the category "Best photos" and the British Film Academy Award, as well as the European Film Award, the prize for cinematography at the Gdynia Film Festival, prizes at festivals in Minsk and Bucharest, and Golden Frog at Camerimage. He also received the Spotlight Award from the American Society of Cinematographers.
He was decorated with the Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis in 2013.
Lenczewski was a member of the American Film Academy from 2015 until his death in 2026. In the same year he received the "Golden Camera 300" award for lifetime achievement at the International Festival of Cinematographers in Bitola.
Lenczewski died on 25 September 2026, at the age of 78.
Awards (selection)
This list of Lenczewski's nominations and awards is based on the listing at the Internet Movie Database.
Ida
- 87th Academy Awards in the category of Best Cinematography. Nomination shared with Łukasz Żal.
- European Film Award for Best Cinematographer
Charles II: The Power & the Passion
- BAFTA TV Award, Best Photography and Lighting
My Summer of Love
- European Film Award for Best Cinematographer, nomination
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryszard_Lenczewski
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 27, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 27, 2026
- Sep 27, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Ryszard Lenczewski's archived record and the sources above.
1.What award did Ryszard Lenczewski receive in 2004 from the British Academy?
- A.BAFTA Cymru for Best Cinematography
- B.Best Cinematography Award for Anna Karenina
- C.Lifetime Achievement Award
- D.TV Award for photography and lighting for Charles II: The Power and the Passioncorrect
In 2004, Ryszard Lenczewski received the TV Award of the British Academy in the category of photography and lighting for Charles II: The Power and the Passion.
Source: life and career section
2.Ryszard Lenczewski collaborated on the film 'Ida' with which other cinematographer?
- A.Łukasz Żalcorrect
- B.Andrzej Barański
- C.Juliusz Machulski
- D.Paweł Pawlikowski
Ryszard Lenczewski worked with Łukasz Żal on the 2013 film Ida.
Source: life and career section
3.In what year was Ryszard Lenczewski decorated with the Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis?
- A.2013correct
- B.2014
- C.2015
- D.2010
Ryszard Lenczewski was decorated with the Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis in 2013.
Source: life and career section
4.What was the age of Ryszard Lenczewski at the time of his death?
- A.78correct
- B.79
- C.77
- D.76
Ryszard Lenczewski died on 25 September 2026 at the age of 78.
Source: life and career section
5.Which award did Ryszard Lenczewski receive at the International Festival of Cinematographers in Bitola in 2015?
- A.Golden Camera 300correct
- B.Lifetime Achievement Award for Cinematography
- C.Golden Frog
- D.Spotlight Award
In 2015, Ryszard Lenczewski received the Golden Camera 300 award for lifetime achievement in Bitola.
Source: life and career section
6.For which project was Ryszard Lenczewski nominated for a BAFTA Film Award in 2001?
- A.Charles II: The Power and the Passion
- B.My Summer of Love
- C.Ida
- D.Anna Kareninacorrect
In 2001, Ryszard Lenczewski was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for the miniseries Anna Karenina.
Source: life and career section
7.How many 'Sketches' did Ryszard Lenczewski create for the film 'Ida'?
- A.10
- B.12
- C.16
- D.14correct
Ryszard Lenczewski created a series of 14 sketches for the film Ida.
Source: further reading section
8.Which of these directors is explicitly listed as a collaborator of Ryszard Lenczewski?
- A.Joe Wrightcorrect
- B.Steven Spielberg
- C.Martin Scorsese
- D.Roman Polanski
The text lists Joe Wright as one of the directors with whom Ryszard Lenczewski collaborated.
Source: life and career section
9.On what date was Ryszard Lenczewski born?
- A.25 September 1948
- B.5 June 1948correct
- C.15 June 1946
- D.7 October 1950
Ryszard Lenczewski was born on 5 June 1948 according to the biography.
Source: biographical introduction
10.From which institution did Ryszard Lenczewski graduate in 1974?
- A.National Film School in Warsaw
- B.Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk
- C.Polish Cinematography Institute
- D.National Film School in Łódźcorrect
Ryszard Lenczewski graduated from the Cinematography Department of the National Film School in Łódź in 1974.
Source: life and career section
11.How many feature films directed by Paweł Pawlikowski did Ryszard Lenczewski serve as cinematographer for?
- A.Fourcorrect
- B.Six
- C.Three
- D.Two
Ryszard Lenczewski was the cinematographer for four of director Paweł Pawlikowski's feature films.
Source: biographical introduction
12.In what year did Ryszard Lenczewski receive the title of professor?
- A.2008
- B.2005
- C.2013
- D.2010correct
Ryszard Lenczewski was awarded the title of professor on 7 October 2010.
Source: life and career section
13.What role did Ryszard Lenczewski hold at the National Film School in Łódź from 2008 to 2014?
- A.Head of the Research Department
- B.Deputy dean of the Cinematography Departmentcorrect
- C.Dean of the Department
- D.Director of Admissions
Ryszard Lenczewski served as the deputy dean of the Cinematography Department at the National Film School in Łódź between 2008 and 2014.
Source: life and career section
14.Which film earned Ryszard Lenczewski an award at the Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdańsk in 1980?
- A.Pałaccorrect
- B.Anna Karenina
- C.Ida
- D.Wojenna narzeczona
In 1980, Ryszard Lenczewski received an award at the Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdańsk for his work on the film Pałac.
Source: life and career section
15.In what year did Ryszard Lenczewski become a member of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?
- A.2015correct
- B.2005
- C.2010
- D.2013
Ryszard Lenczewski became a member of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2015.
Source: life and career section
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