Marta Prus (1937–2010) was a Polish film director and screenwriter. She was known for her unique style of filmmaking, which combined elements of surrealism, fantasy, and social commentary.
Prus was born in Poland in 1937 and grew up in the Polish countryside. She attended the University of Warsaw, where she studied film. After graduating, Prus began working as an assistant director at the Film Unit of the Polish People’s Army in 1961. While there, she wrote and directed several short films.
Prus’s first feature film, The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born (1970), was an autobiographical story about a young girl living in rural Poland. The film was well-received and earned Prus the Polish Critics Award at the Gdynia Film Festival.
Prus went on to direct two more feature films, A Woman in the Sunlight (1974) and The Insect Woman (1980). Both films focused on the struggles of women in a patriarchal society. In addition, Prus directed a few short films, including The Reckoning (1974) and The Cat (1979).
In the late 1980s, Prus began writing and directing television films. She was particularly successful with her series of family dramas, which aired on Polish television in the early 1990s. Prus also wrote and directed several television miniseries, including The Street Where I Live (1993), The Little Mermaid (1996), and The Last Day of Summer (2002).
Prus’s work was praised for its distinctive style, which combined elements of surrealism, fantasy, and political commentary. Her films often focused on themes of social injustice and the struggle of the individual against oppressive forces.
Prus died in 2010 after a long battle with cancer. She was 73 years old. Prus’s films remain popular among viewers and film critics alike, and she is remembered as one of Poland’s most influential filmmakers.
