Andrzej Bartkowiak, (born 6 March 1950) is a Polish cinematographer and film director, long based in the United States.
He became known for his partnership with director Sidney Lumet, shooting 11 of his films in the 1980s.
From the 2000s onwards, he transitioned into a directing career, mainly with action films.
Early life and education Bartkowiak was born and raised in Łódź.
As a teenager, he played in a rock band and wrote for his school newspaper. Though he originally intended to become a painter, he developed an interest in filmmaking and enrolled in the Łódź Film School in 1970. He has cited the influence of painters, particularly Caravaggio and Goya, in his cinematography.
After two years of study, he left his studies, and moved to the United States and settled in New York City, where he lived for a time with Polish actress Elżbieta Czyżewska and David Halberstam.
Career Barkowiak 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.
Cinematography Bartkowiak shot his first feature, the independent feature Deadly Hero, in 1975. Though the film was neither a critical nor commercial success, he later recalled "it gave me confidence — and it gave other people confidence in me."
He achieved prominence in the early 1980s through a close association with director Sidney Lumet, shooting 11 of his films between 1981 and 1993.. Lumet approached Bartkowiak after being impressed by his day-for-night photography on the made-for-TV film The Five Forty-Eight.
Bartkowiak is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers and received the Society's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025.
Directing Bartkowiak later became known as a director of action films, making his debut with Romeo Must Die (2000). He then directed Exit Wounds (2001) and Cradle 2 the Grave (2003), as well as the video game adaptations Doom (2005) and Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009).
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.
In addition, Bartkowiak was friends with actor Bruce Willis during the 1980s. Willis credited Bartkowiak with securing his earliest extra acting work in The Verdict.
Filmography Director Romeo Must Die (2000) Exit Wounds (2001) Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) Doom (2005) Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009) Maximum Impact (2017) Dead Reckoning (2020)
Cinematographer Film Year Title Director Notes 1975 Deadly Hero Iván Nagy 1981 Prince of the CitySidney Lumet1982 Deathtrap The Verdict1983 Daniel Terms of Endearment James L. Brooks 1984 Garbo Talks Sidney Lumet 1985 Prizzi's Honor John Huston1986 PowerSidney Lumet The Morning After 1987 Nuts Martin Ritt 1988 Twins Ivan Reitman 1989 Family BusinessSidney Lumet 1990 Q&A1991 Hard Promises Martin Davidson Off and Running Ed Bianchi 1992 A Stranger Among Us Sidney Lumet1993 Falling Down Joel Schumacher Guilty as Sin Sidney Lumet1994 Speed Jan de Bont A Good Man in Africa Bruce Beresford1995 Losing Isaiah Stephen Gyllenhaal Species Roger Donaldson Jade William Friedkin 1996 The Mirror Has Two Faces Barbra Streisand with Dante Spinotti1997 Dante's Peak Roger Donaldson The Devil's Advocate Taylor Hackford1998 U.S. Marshals Stuart Baird Lethal Weapon 4 Richard Donner2000Gossip Davis Guggenheim Thirteen Days Roger Donaldson 2011 Trespass Joel Schumacher 2017 Grey Lady John Shea 2020 A Zebra-Riding Boy Chen JuzhiFan Xiaotian
Short film Year Title Director Notes 1999 Turkey. Cake. Sean Whalen 2022 Laughing at Fat People Stephen Kessler Documentary short
Television Year Title Director Notes 1979 The 5:48 James Ivory TV movie
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Title Result 1993Camerimage Golden Frog Falling Down 2006Special Award 1982 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Cinematography The Verdict 2011 Polish Film Festival in AmericaWings Award
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