style pursued by his contemporaries, due to its uniquely bitter quality. As a filmmaker he is known for his Venice'58 Grand Prix winner The Last Day of Summer (Ostatni dzień lata, 1958), All Souls' Day (Zaduszki, 1961), as well as for his masterpieces Salto (1962) and How Far Away, How Near (Jak daleko stąd, jak blisko, 1973), as well as film adaptations: of Nobel Prize Winner Czesław Miłosz's book Issa Valley (Dolina Issy, 1982), and of Adam Mickiewicz's drama Forefather's Eve – Lava (1989). He is widely known for two novels, published by the Polish underground press: The Polish Complex (1977) and A Minor Apocalypse (1979). The latter work, a bitter satire about a washed-up writer who is asked to burn himself in front of the Soviet-built Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw; the novel was adapted as a 1993 French feature film, directed by Costa-Gavras. A Minor Apocalypse is a post-Orwellian parody that refers to specific historical events, such as self-immolation protests against the communist regime by Ryszard Siwiec in Poland and Jan Palach in Czechoslovakia. Literary works Films Writer/Director The Last Day of Summer (Ostatni dzień lata, 1958) All Souls' Day (Zaduszki, 1961) Matura, short film, a segment of a French-German-Polish coproduction The Moment of Peace (Chwila pokoju / Le Moment de paix, 1965) Salto (1965) How Far Away, How Near (Jak daleko stąd, jak blisko, 1973) Issa Valley (Dolina Issy, 1982), based on a novel by Czesław Miłosz Lava (Lawa , 1989), based on a poetic drama by Adam Mickiewicz Writer Career (Kariera, 1954, dir. Jan Koecher), co-written with Kazimierz Sumerski Winter Twilight (Zimowy zmierzch, 1956, dir. ) Mother Joan of the Angels (Matka Joanna od Aniołów, 1961, dir. Jerzy Kawalerowicz), co-written with Kawalerowicz, based on a novella by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz Pharaoh (Faraon, 1966, dir. Jerzy Kawalerowicz), co-written with Kawalerowicz, based on a novel by Bolesław Prus Jowita (1967, dir. Janusz Morgenstern), based on a novel by Stanisław Dygat Austeria (1982, dir. Jerzy Kawalerowicz), co-written with Kawalerowicz and Julian Stryjkowski, based on a novel by Stryjkowski A Chronicle of Amorous Accidents (Kronika wypadków miłosnych, 1985, dir. Andrzej Wajda), based on Konwicki's novel See also List of Poles References External links Tadeusz Konwicki at Culture.pl 1926 births 2015 deaths People from Wilno Voivodeship (1926–1939) Polish film directors Polish journalists Polish United Workers' Party members Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1944–1989) Polish male novelists 20th-century Polish novelists