Roman Polanski

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Roman Raymond Polanski ({{lang-pl|Roman Rajmund Polański}}; born 18 August 1933) is a French-born and resident Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Polanski began his career in Poland, and later became a critically acclaimed director of both art house and commercial films.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/law_in_action/4026459.stm|title=Law in Action: Polanski Libel Case|publisher=BBC Radio 4|date=November 19, 2004|accessdate=2009-09-14}} Polanski's first feature-length film, Knife in the Water (1962), made in Poland, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He has since received five more Oscar nominations, and in 2002 received the Academy Award for Best Director for his film, The Pianist. He has also been the recipient of two Baftas, four Césars, a Golden Globe and the Palme d'Or. He left the People's Republic of Poland in 1961 to live in France for several years, then moved to Britain, where he collaborated with Gérard Brach on three films, beginning with Repulsion (1965). In 1968 he moved to the United States, immediately cementing his burgeoning directing status with the 1968 groundbreaking Academy Award winning horror film Rosemary's Baby.

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In 1969, Polanski's pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, was murdered while staying at the Polanski's Benedict Canyon home above Los Angeles by members of the Manson Family.{{cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/10797646/year/2008.html|title=Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired|accessdate=25 January 2009}} Following Tate's death, Polanski returned to Europe and spent much of his time in Paris and Gstaad, but didn't make another film until he filmed Macbeth (1971) in England. The following year he went to Italy to make What? (1973) and subsequently spent the next five years living near Rome. However, he traveled to Hollywood to direct Chinatown (1974) for Paramount Pictures, with Robert Evans serving as producer. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, and was a critical and box-office success; the script by Robert Towne won for Best Original Screenplay.{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071315/

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