Tomasz Augustynek

Tomasz Augustynek, born in Kraków back in ‘77, has this wild eye for detail that just sort of leaps off the screen. If you’ve stumbled across Forgotten Love (2023), you already know he’s not messing around—every frame feels like it could hang in a gallery. He kicked off his career with Cold Kenya in 2006, which, honestly, didn’t get the love it deserved at the time, but it’s one of those slow-burn movies that creeps up on you and sticks around in your head for days. Then there’s Ostatnie pietro (2013), which, for my money, is the real test of his style—gritty, tense, but never losing that little sliver of hope even when things get bleak. What’s cool about Augustynek is how he doesn’t just hide behind the lens. The dude produces, too. He’s out there shaping the whole vibe of a film, not just making it look pretty (though, yeah, he absolutely does that). His stuff’s got this Polish edge—think cold city streets, that gray light you only get in Eastern Europe, but with a kind of warmth sneaking in at the corners. You can tell he’s pulling from his hometown, Kraków, which just oozes history and grit. So, if you’re the sort who actually pays attention to the people behind the camera, put Augustynek on your radar. He’s not just a cinematographer; he’s out here making movies feel alive, down to the last shadow.