Franciszek Kądziołka

(born 1926 in Mielec, died 1983). Cinematographer, cameraman and still photographer. During his studies in FilmSchool in Łódź, he started to practise as photographer and laboratory technician. “I think it was in the second year – said Janusz Morgenstern, film director – when I came up with a brilliant idea that led me to money during summer holiday. I talked my friend, Franciszek Kądziołka, future cinematographer, into going with me for several student camps and take portrait photographs of the participants. We borrowed a camera from the school and caught on! During each camp, at least 20 people wanted to be photographed. It was an unquestioned advantage of studying in Łódź – we came as professionals. I took photographs, Franciszek had all chemicals, so he developed photos on site, made prints and this is how we earned money. During the next vacation, we travelled across Poland, visiting these camps"¹.

Already during the studies, Kądziołka began also making stills – debuted in work on “Sprawa do załatwienia" by Rybkowski. After finishing studies in 1954, when he was promoted to camera assistant and afterwards in 1956 when he became cameraman, he didn’t resign from making stills. It was difficult to combine functions of cameraman and still photographer, but it brought exceptional effects. Cameraman leads the camera and frames shots, so, just as cinematographer, he senses the visual film climate best. Therefore, Kądziołka’s stills were always strongly connected with the matter of the history told, its characters and realities.

Kądziąłka was an exceptionally hard-working still photographer, because despite the fact that he never had too much time for his work on the set, he left for each film, for which he provided photographic service, at least 500-600 negative frames, and very often the number reached 1000. He documented literally everything: actors during screen tests, director during documentation, crew members at work, equipment, decorations and costume details. Thanks to his photos, we can almost sense today how difficult and challenging in terms of organisation was film shooting in the past.

ALso, he had an interesting passion: “As long as I remember, Franciszek designed and made furniture" – said director Tadeusz Chmielewski. “He loved it so much that he took often his tools and projects when we were leaving for outdoor shooting. And in the evening, when the whole crew rested, he would draw something and cut some planks. Often, the hotel staff had to ask him in the late evening not to make noise anymore"².

Piotr Śmiałowski

Filmography of Kądziołka as still photographer:

1953 – „Sprawa do załatwienia”
1953 – „Trudna miłość”
1954 – „Autobus odjeżdża 6.20”
1955 – „Godziny nadziei”
1956 – „Warszawska Syrena”
1956 – „Trzy kobiety”
1958 – „Wolne miasto”
1958 – „Historia jednego myśliwca”
1961 – „Dotknięcie nocy”
1961 – „Dziś w nocy umrze miasto”
1962 – „Głos z tamtego świata”
1962 – „Dom bez okien”

1963 – „Ich dzień powszedni”
1965 – „Popioły”
1970 – „Czterej pancerni i pies” episodes 17-21
1973-74 – „Potop” (with Eugeniuszem Gawrysiakiem) 

Gallery

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  Kądziołka's original stamp used in the first half of the 1970s
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  A pack of 35 mm negatives with handwritten descriptions by Kądziołka
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  A scrap from a handwritten report by Kądziołka on the negatives for the film "Trudna miłość"
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  A postcard advertising the film "Potop" by Kądziołka and Gawrysiak, made on ORWO paper
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  The reverse of the same postcard