President Bronislaw Komorowski has awarded the photographer and filmmaker Joanna Helander the ”Freedom-and-Solidarity Medal” for her contributions to the democratization av Poland.
Joanna Helander was born in southern Poland and studied at the University of Kraków when she was imprisoned for protesting the invasion of Czechoslovakia. In 1971 she emigrated to Sweden.
In photography books, films and exhibitions she has portrayed the country of her birth. Her books ”Kobieta” 1978, ”Letters from Poland”, 1986 and ”If She from Poland was Here”, 1999 – among others – have been critically acclaimed in Sweden and beyond.
The award-winning film trilogy ”Eighth Day Theatre”, ”Returning” and ”The Twins from Kraków”, which she made together with Bo Persson, has been screened in a number of countries. Their last film is “Waltz with Milosz”.