Culture ambassadors awarded

Paweł Pawlikowski, the director of the highly-acclaimed feature film ‘Ida’ which won the 2015 Academy Award in the best foreign language film category, received the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Reborn Poland for his outstanding artistic achievements and the promotion of Polish culture.

The composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, who won an Oscar for Best Original Score for ‘Finding Neverland’ in 2005, was decorated with the Knight’s Cross of the same Order. In his thank-you remarks, Kaczmarek said that Poles can make a tangible contribution to world culture.

"The strength of culture is that it does not require huge expenditures amounting to billions. It is about an art of communication and if we are able to communicate well, the results are attractive and sometimes even outstanding," he said, adding that culture opens many doors.

Among the recipients of state distinctions of various rank are also the world-famous opera singers Piotr Beczała, Mariusz Kwiecień and Aleksandra Kurzak, film director Małgorzata Szumowska, and art collector and sponsor Grażyna Kulczyk. (mk/rg)