Katarzyna Machalek

Katarzyna Machalek is a Polish director, producer, and illustrator. She holds a degree in Fine Arts and Graphic Design from Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University. Since 2012, Katarzyna and Lukasz Machowski, as a directorial duo, live and work between London and Warsaw. In 2021 they directed two feature films. "Day and Night" (2022) is a film about the power of women that delves into magical folk rituals and how, in remote regions, dream and reality often overlap. "Boys" (2022), a vérité-style documentary, depicts a year in the life of a group of teenagers locked in a juvenile detention center. The film is co-produced by the Polish Film Institute. A monochromatic love letter to New York, "Sketches from the Underground" (2015), brought Katarzyna and Lukasz numerous film awards and international recognition. The movie premiered in the US at the Brooklyn Museum. The duo directed a feature documentary in China, "In Search of the Dragon" (2020), telling the story of circus artists preparing for a large-scale show. Using various documentary and narrative forms, they explore subjects close to their hearts, such as youth, human nature, and how modern culture impacts and changes both.