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Zbigniew Rybczynski

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Filmmaker

The Resume

    (January 27, 1949- )
    Born in Lodz, Poland
    Won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for ‘Tango’ (1982)
    Directed videos for ‘Close (To the Edit)’ by Art of Noise (1984), ‘Lose Your Love’ by Blancmange, ‘Alive and Kicking’ by Simple Minds (1985), ‘Candy’ by Cameo (1986), ‘The Original Wrapper’ by Lou Reed (1986), ‘Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)’ by Pet Shop Boys (1986), ‘Hell in Paradise’ by Yoko One (1986), ‘Let’s Work’ by Mick Jagger (1987), ‘I’m Beggin’ You’ by Supertramp (1987), and ‘Time Stand Still’ by Rush (1987)
    Directed the feature film ‘Angst’ (1983)

Why he might be annoying:

    At the Oscar ceremony, his name was butchered by presenter Kristy McNichol as ‘Zbigniew Ski Sky.’
    After his win, he stepped outside for a cigarette break and could not get back into the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion.
    He eventually kicked a security guard in frustration and was arrested.
    He called the only American attorney he had heard of, divorce lawyer Marvin Mitchelson, who told an assistant, ‘First find me an interpreter and then tell me how to pronounce his name.’ (Answer to the latter: ‘rib-chin-ski’)
    The videos he directed for ‘Close (To the Edit)’ and ‘Lose Your Love’ were criticized for encouraging violence, with ‘Lose Your Love’ being banned by the BBC and ‘Close (To the Edit)’ being banned in New Zealand.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was active in the Solidarity movement and was granted political asylum by Austria when the Polish government declared martial law (1982).
    The assault charges for kicking the security guard were dismissed.
    He said his Oscar night experience taught him that ‘success and defeat are quite intertwined.’
    He was a pioneer in filming on high-definition video.
    He won an MTV Video Vanguard Award (1986).
    He taught experimental filmmaking at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, Germany.
    He holds several patents for innovations in the field of electronic imaging.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 70.0% Annoying