In a citation for the honour, the director of the National Centre for Film Culture Rafal Syska said that Jankowska-Cieślak belongs to those who shun the spotlight and the celebrity status.
"She does not occupy colour magazines. She does not terrorize the social media. Yet she is the quintessence of the art of acting, someone who requires from us utmost attention, solemnity, intellectual commitment and empathy," he said.
In her thank-you remarks Jankowska-Cieślak said: "It’s a great honour. I’m proud and happy. I was never interested in standing out against other actors and actresses. All I want is to do my job well, working together with my colleagues on stage and the film set."
The ceremony, which was held on Piotrkowska Street in the heart of the city on Thursday afternoon, was followed by a meeting with Jankowska-Cieślak and the screening in the Odeon Cinema of a film that skyrocketed her to stardom. It was for her role in the Hungarian movie "Another Way" that the Pole received the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1982.
Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieślak, September 19, 2024 (PAP/M. Zubrzycki)
Born in 1951, Jankowska-Cieślak graduated from the Drama Academy in Warsaw in 1972. She has appeared in more than 30 feature films and has also excelled in theatre, winning critical acclaim for the psychological depth in the portrayal of her stage and film characters.
Jankowska-Cieślak has received numerous awards for her artistic achievements, including the Gold Gloria Artis Medal for Cultural Merit, as well as the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Reborn Poland for her outstanding contribution to the democratic transformations in Poland.
The Avenue of Stars in Łódź is inspired by the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. It honours over 100 prominent Polish directors, actors, producers and composers of film music.
Łódź, September 19, 2024. Actress Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieślak's star on the Łódź Walk of Fame on Piotrkowska Street (PAP/M. Zubrzycki)
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