The decision was announced at a news conference in Warsaw.
Dariusz Jabłoński, the head of the Polish Film Academy, said that granting the Eagle lifetime achievement award to Jan A. P. Kaczmarek was “a momentous decision for many reasons," Polish state news agency PAP reported.
He described Kaczmarek as “an outstanding Polish composer” who left for America and went on to win an Oscar for best original score for 2004’s Finding Neverland.
The composer’s credits also include 1995’s Total Eclipse, 1997’s The Washington Square and 2001’s Quo Vadis.
Jabłoński said: “After winning the Oscar, Jan A. P. Kaczmarek also worked on many Polish films. He returned to Poland and we brought him back to the national film industry. Jan, wishing you good health and best wishes from the whole Polish Film Academy.”
Jan A. P. Kaczmarek has been diagnosed with multiple system atrophy (MSA), an incurable neurodegenerative disease with similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease, the PAP news agency reported.
Earlier this year, the composer’s daughter, Anastazja Davis, launched an online fundraising campaign to finance home-based care for her father.
Davis said Kaczmarek was unable to walk on his own and needed the help of his wife and two carers in basic activities of daily living, such as getting out of bed and dressing.
The Polish Film Academy has awarded its Eagle lifetime achievement award since 1999, with previous winners including Andrzej Wajda (2000), Roman Polanski (2003) and Jerzy Skolimowski (2022).
Meanwhile, the 2023 Polish Film Academy Awards will be granted at a ceremony in Warsaw’s Polski Theatre on Monday, March 6.
Skolimowski’s Oscar-nominated EO, Agnieszka Smoczyńska’s The Silent Twins and Daniel Jaroszek’s Johnny are tipped to win the most statuettes, news outlets reported.
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Source: PAP, rmf24.pl
Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Radio Poland's Agnieszka Bielawska.