Józef Letkier

Assistant cameraman and still photographer. He was associated with the Łódź Feature Film Studio from the beginning, though he did not initially take stills there. He first worked as a focus puller on "Wraki" by Czesław Petelski and "Ewa chce spać" by Tadeusz Chmielewski. Chmielewski recalls that Letkier must have already participated in the making of some earlier films because he knew many details from the sets of other directors. When Chmielewski wanted to put a gag into "Ewa chce spać", Letkier was able to tell him whether or not the idea had already been used in another Polish comedy. Letkier frequently worked as a focus puller with DoPs Stefan Matyjaszkiewicz, Czesław Świrta and Wiesław Zdort.

Letkier probably started taking stills only in the mid-1960s.Wiesław Zdort remembers that Letkier did not receive a strict photographic education, but when production managers began to save on hiring professional film-set photographers, he started taking stills on films where he was also the focus puller. 1

"When I started to shoot my films" – recalls director Janusz Majewski – "Letkier was already one of the older workers in the cinema industry. It was easy to remember him because of his distinctive name and stocky physique. He was silent, and he always moved silently around the set. He was one of those professionals who remain in the shadows, but their knowledge of the film craft was not to be underestimated.^"

Piotr Śmiałowski

Filmography of Letkier as still photographer (incomplete):

1969 – „Ruchome piaski”

1969 – „Rzeczpospolita babska”

1969 – „Znicz olimpijski”

1970 – „Przystań”

1971 – „Bolesław Śmiały”

1976 – „Daleko od szosy”

1981 – „Znachor”

1984 – "Dom wariatów"

Gallery

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  Letkier's note on the negative envelope for the film "Znachor"