Polish Film School
Kawalerowicz was born in Gwoździec, Poland, one of the few Poles living in an ethnically-mixed Ukrainian and Jewish town. Kawalerowicz's father's family originated from Armenia, originally having the surname Kavalarian. Jerzy Kawalerowicz was noted for his powerful, detail-oriented imagery and the depth of ideas in his films. After working as an assistant director, he made his directorial debut with the 1951 film "The Village Mill" "(Gromada)". He was a leading figure in the Polish Film School, and his films "Shadow" ("Cień", 1956) and "Night Train" ("Pociąg", 1959) constitute some of that movement's best work.