"There aren't many directors who can inject high culture into the soul of their films the way Krzysztof Zanussi does in “Ether,”
writes The Hollywood Reporter in its review of the film. The remarkable
Faustian psychological drama tells the story of a military doctor
experimenting with science in order to gain power over people.
“He
is a man who confused science with religion, and the two should never
be confused. That is what this film is about. Ether was a source of
great fascination by the end of the 19th century. In my film, it is a
metaphor as it becomes a tool of salvation and subjection,” says Krzysztof Zanussi.
Born
in Warsaw in 1939, Zanussi holds a degree in Physics from the
University of Warsaw (1955–1959), as well as in Philosophy from the
Jagiellonian University in Krakow (1959–1962) and in Film Directing from
the National Higher School of Film, Television and Theatre in Łódź
(1960–1966). His new film once again combines his various training into
one. In 1994, the director was elected President of the EUROVISIONI
Association, with headquarters in Rome. Since 1999 he has chaired the
Federation of European Film Directors – FERA. He is one of the first
Polish artists to make co-productions (Germany, Italy, France). “Ether”, too, comes as a result of the joint efforts of Poland, Ukraine, Hungary and Lithuania.
Today, Krzysztof Zanussi
is Professor of Film and Television Directing at the National Higher
School of Film, Television and Theatre in Łódź in Poland, as well as a
consultant to the Vatican Culture Commission and one of the co-founders
of the European Film Academy. Professor Zanussi has taught at the
National Film and Television School in England, the cinema institutes in
Belgrade and Budapest, and other prominent institutions. He is the
recipient of many Polish and international awards and honors, including
David di Donatello, the Order of the Rebirth of Poland, the Order of
Arts and Letters (France), as well as many prestigious awards from
Cannes, Venice, Moscow, and lifetime achievement awards for his work and
contribution to the European film culture.
Krzysztof Zanussi was awarded the Sofia Municipality award for outstanding achievements in world cinema in 2019.