JAHODA, MIECZYSŁAW

(1924-)

Accomplished cinematographer who worked on several influential Polish films. While still a student at theŁódź Film School(from which he graduated in 1953), Jahoda worked as a second camera operator onJerzy Kawalerowicz's filmsThe Village Mill(1952),A Night of Remembrance(1954), andUnder the Phrygian Star(1954).Stanisław Lenartowicz's expressionisticWinter Twilight(1957) became his first film as a cinematographer. The dreamlike visual style ofWojciech J. Has's early films owes a lot to Jahoda, who photographedNoose(1958),Farewells(1958),The Saragossa Manuscript(1965), andCiphers(1966).During thePolish Schoolperiod, he also photographedEwaandCzesław Petelski'sThe Artillery Sergeant Kaleń(1961) andJan Rybkowski's filmsMeeting at Bajka Cafe(1962) andTruly Yesterday(1963). Jahoda is also known for pioneering several techniques; for example, he photographed the first widescreen Polish film in Eastmancolor,The Teutonic Knights(1960,Aleksander Ford). Later he continued working with Rybkowski (Ascension Day, 1969),Tadeusz Chmielewski(IHate Mondays, 1971),Tadeusz Konwicki(How Far from Here, yet How Near, 1972),Jan Batory(TheLake of Mysteries, 1973), andAndrzej Kondratiuk(Scorpio, Virgo, and Sagitarius, 1971). Jahoda continued his career as a cinematographer until 1987, also teaching at the Łódź Film School. In 1978 he codi-rected with Janusz Rzeszewski the musicalcomedyHello, Fred the Beard(Hallo Szpicbródka, czyli ostatni występ króla kasiarzy). His last films were made with directorStanisław Jędryka, for exampleUpside Down(1983) andI Died to Live(1984).