Małgorzata Szumowska

Małgorzata Szumowska (born 26 February 1973) is a Polish director, screenwriter and producer, born in Cracow.

Her 2013 film In the Name Of received the Teddy Award for Best Feature at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival, and received the Grand Prix at the 32nd annual Istambul Film Festival. Her film Body was selected to be screened in the main competition section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival. Szumowska won the Silver Bear for Best Director for Body.

Szumowska spent two years studying History of Art at Jagiellonian University before she started film studies.  Szumowska graduated from the celebrated film college in Łódź, which boasts such alumni as Andrzej Wajda, Roman Polański or Krzysztof Kieślowski.  As a student, Szumowska made a short which was ranked 14th in the history of Łódź Film SchoolCisza (Silence) is a short documentary film in which Szumowska tried to capture a simple life of a Polish rural family.

Szumowska graduated from the film college in 1998 and made her debut feature film Szczęśliwy człowiek (Happy Man) in 2001. The film was nominated to The European Film Award and Szumowska became a member of the European Film Academy in the same year.  The plot explores complicated relationships among three people facing enormous difficulties who nonetheless strive to achieve happiness, or, at least, steer clear of tragedy.

Her next film, Ono (Stranger), focused on the relationship between a pregnant woman and the baby she is expecting. Having decided not to have an abortion, the mother tries to prepare her child for the experience of the outside world. Things get complicated when the woman faces health problems.

In 2005 Szumowska made a short film Ojciec (Father), one of thirteen contemporary stories written by Polish film directors to celebrate Solidarity which made up the film Solidarność, Solidarność (Solidarity, Solidarity). Based on her father’s experiences, Szumowska's film uses archival footage from his documentaries.

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