Andrzej Bartkowiak
Andrzej Bartkowiak, is a Polish cinematographer and film director based in the United States.
He became known in the 1980s for his partnership with director Sidney Lumet, shooting 11 of his films between 1981 and 1993.
He later became known as a director of action films, including the Jet Li vehicles Romeo Must Die and Cradle 2 the Grave, and the video game adaptations Doom and Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.
Life and career
Bartkowiak was born and raised in Łódź, and studied at the Łódź Film School from 1970 to 1972.After two years of study, he left his studies, and moved to the United States and settled in New York City, where he worked as a cinematographer and director on dozens of television commercials and industrial films, for clients like IBM, Xerox, American Express, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and Toyota. He also worked for several years in Italy.
He shot his first feature, the independent feature Deadly Hero, in 1975.
Cinematography
He achieved prominence in the early 1980s through a close association with director Sidney Lumet, beginning with the Oscar-nominated 1981 film Prince of the City. He shot almost of all of Lumet's films, 11 in total, between 1981 and 1993. He also worked with other prominent directors, like John Huston, James L. Brooks, James Ivory, Martin Ritt and William Friedkin.Three of his films in the 1980s—The Verdict, Terms of Endearment, and Prizzi's Honor —were Academy Award nominees for Best Picture.
In 2010, he worked as cinematographer in the thriller Trespass, directed by Joel Schumacher, both had collaborated before on Falling Down.
Bartkowiak is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers.
Directing
Bartkowiak made his directorial debut with Romeo Must Die, a martial arts action film starring Jet Li and Aaliyah, which grossed $91 million at the box office. A year later he made the action thriller film Exit Wounds starring Steven Seagal, the film was a hit in theaters. Cradle 2 the Grave was a moderate success at the box-office.Later he teamed up with Ashok Amritraj's Hyde Park Entertainment and Capcom to direct Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.
In 2017, he directed the Russian-American co-production film Maximum Impact, starring Alexander Nevsky, Kelly Hu, Mark Dacascos, Tom Arnold, and Danny Trejo.
In 2020, he directed the film Dead Reckoning, with KJ Apa and India Eisley.
Personal life
Bartkowiak was married to actress Diane Venora between 1980 and 1989. They have one daughter, Madzia. He also has a daughter named Ania and a son named Marco.Filmography
CinematographerDirectorRomeo Must Die Exit Wounds Cradle 2 the Grave Doom Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li Maximum Impact
- ''Dead Reckoning''