We received the news of the death of Ryszard Lenczewski—an outstanding cinematographer, lecturer, and a person of great importance to the Lodz Film School—with profound sadness.

Ryszard Lenczewski was born on June 5, 1948, in Miłków. In 1974, he graduated from the Cinematography Department of our School, with which he was later associated as a lecturer. From 2008 to 2014, he served as Vice-Dean of the Cinematography Department. In 2010, he was awarded the title of Professor of Film Arts. He was a master and a role model for successive generations of cinematographers trained at the Lodz Film School.

Throughout his career as a cinematographer, he collaborated with directors such as Paweł Pawlikowski, Krzysztof Zanussi, Grzegorz Królikiewicz, Juliusz Machulski, Andrzej Barański, John Crowley, Kenneth Lonergan, and Joe Wright. His cinematography credits include films such as The Case of Pekosiński, Woman from the Provinces, Two Moons, In Heaven as It Is on Earth, My Summer of Love, Margaret, and The Woman in the Fifth. His work behind the camera earned him numerous awards, nominations, and distinctions. The cinematography for Paweł Pawlikowski’s Ida—created in collaboration with Łukasz Żal—brought Ryszard Lenczewski an Academy Award nomination, a European Film Award, a Golden Frog at Camerimage, and the cinematography award at the Gdynia Polish Film Festival.

He was a member of the Polish Society of Cinematographers (PSC), the European Film Academy (EFA), the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

His passing is a tremendous loss for Polish cinema and for our School.

We extend our condolences to his family and loved ones.

Thank you for everything, Professor!