---
name: "Zbigniew Preisner"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/zbigniew-preisner"
fi1m_id: "zbigniew-preisner"
imdb_id: "nm0006237"
tmdb_id: 1135
wikidata_id: "Q168155"
roles: ["Composer"]
born: "20 May 1955"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-04T22:56:42.275294+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Zbigniew Preisner

## Identity

Zbigniew Preisner

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/zbigniew-preisner
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** zbigniew-preisner
- **IMDb ID:** nm0006237
- **TMDB ID:** 1135
- **Wikidata ID:** Q168155
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zbigniew_Preisner, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168155, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006237/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1135

Composer. Born 20 May 1955 in Bielsko-Biala, Slaskie, Poland.

## Details

- **Work:** Composer
- **Born:** 20 May 1955, Bielsko-Biala, Slaskie, Poland
- **Active:** 1989–2011
- **Also known as:** Zbigniew Antoni Kowalski, Zigniew Preisner
- **Frequently works with:** [Krzysztof Kieślowski](https://film.one/person/krzysztof-kieslowski.md), [Krzysztof Piesiewicz](https://film.one/person/krzysztof-piesiewicz.md), [Marin Karmitz](https://film.one/person/marin-karmitz.md), [Irène Jacob](https://film.one/person/irene-jacob.md), [Juliette Binoche](https://film.one/person/juliette-binoche.md)
- **Berlin International Film Festival:** 1 Berlin prize (1 won)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 84 (1), 1990s 79 (6), 2010s 84 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 80 to 75 across 8 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 8, Fantasy 2, Mystery 2, Romance 2, Comedy 1, Crime 1
- **Screen time:** 13 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $100m across 7 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zbigniew_Preisner, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q168155, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006237/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1135

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Three Colors: Red*](https://film.one/film/three-colors-red.md) (90), [*Three Colors: Blue*](https://film.one/film/three-colors-blue.md) (88), [*Three Colors: White*](https://film.one/film/three-colors-white.md) (78), [*Europa Europa*](https://film.one/film/europa-europa.md) (74)
- **The Criterion Channel:** [*The Double Life of Véronique*](https://film.one/film/the-double-life-of-veronique.md) (86)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Zbigniew Preisner is a Polish film score composer. Born Zbigniew Antoni Kowalski on 20 May 1955 in Bielsko-Biała, he is self-taught in music after studying history and philosophy at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków.

He is best known for his long collaboration with director Krzysztof Kieślowski, composing the scores for *The Double Life of Véronique* (1991) and the *Three Colours* trilogy: *Blue* (1993), *White* (1994) and *Red* (1994). He has also worked with directors including Agnieszka Holland on *The Secret Garden* (1993) and Jean Becker on *Élisa* (1995).

Preisner received César Awards for his scores for *Three Colours: Red* and *Élisa*, and the Silver Bear at the 1997 Berlin International Film Festival for *The Island on Bird Street*. In 1998 he premiered *Requiem for My Friend*, his first major non-film work.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, preisner.com.*

## On Fi1m (8)

- *The Tree of Life* (2011), Fi1m 84, Songs — [page](https://film.one/film/the-tree-of-life.md)
- *Three Colors: Red* (1994), Fi1m 90, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/three-colors-red.md)
- *Three Colors: White* (1994), Fi1m 78, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/three-colors-white.md)
- *Three Colors: Blue* (1993), Fi1m 88, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/three-colors-blue.md)
- *Damage* (1992), Fi1m 57, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/damage.md)
- *The Double Life of Véronique* (1991), Fi1m 86, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-double-life-of-veronique.md)
- *Europa Europa* (1990), Fi1m 74, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/europa-europa.md)
- *Decalogue V* (1989), Fi1m 84, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/decalogue-v.md)

## Complete filmography (80)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Parallel Tales* (2026), Original Music Composer
- *Europa Centrale* (2024), Original Music Composer
- *Haunted Heart* (2024), Original Music Composer
- *Stimulants & Empathogens* (2024), Assistant Property Master
- *Aprilis* (2023), Music
- *Man of God* (2021), Original Music Composer
- *Dear Child* (2020), Music
- *Memories of My Father* (2020), Original Music Composer
- *Mother Didn't Know* (2020), Music
- *Lies We Tell* (2018), Music, Original Music Composer
- *Angelica* (2017), Original Music Composer
- *Valley of Shadows* (2017), Music
- *David Gilmour - Live At Pompeii (Bonus Wroclaw 2016)* (2017), Actor
- *The Queen of Spain* (2016), as Otto Von Fischer · Original Music Composer
- *My Hindu Friend* (2016), Original Music Composer
- *Lady of the Dynasty* (2015), Original Music Composer
- *Lost and Love* (2015), Original Music Composer
- *The History of Eternity* (2014), Original Music Composer
- *Aglaya* (2012), Original Music Composer
- *The Tree of Life* (2011), as Songs — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-tree-of-life.md)
- *A Woman in Berlin* (2008), Original Music Composer
- *A Secret* (2007), Music
- *Sportsman of the Century* (2006), Music
- *Harry's Daughters* (2005), Music
- *The Beautiful Country* (2004), Original Music Composer
- *Strange Gardens* (2003), Original Music Composer
- *It's All About Love* (2003), Original Music Composer
- *Between Strangers* (2002), Original Music Composer
- *Weiser* (2001), Music
- *Aberdeen* (2000), Original Music Composer
- *The Last September* (2000), Original Music Composer
- *Dreaming of Joseph Lees* (1999), Original Music Composer
- *Foolish Heart* (1998), Original Music Composer
- *FairyTale: A True Story* (1997), Original Music Composer
- *The Island on Bird Street* (1997), Original Music Composer
- *Radetzky March* (1995), series, Original Music Composer
- *Feast of July* (1995), Original Music Composer
- *Élisa* (1995), Original Music Composer
- *Three Colors: Red* (1994), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/three-colors-red.md)
- *When a Man Loves a Woman* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *Three Colors: White* (1994), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/three-colors-white.md)
- *Desire in Motion* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *On the Edge of the Horizon* (1993), Music
- *Three Colors: Blue* (1993), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/three-colors-blue.md)
- *The Secret Garden* (1993), Original Music Composer
- *Damage* (1992), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 57, [page](https://film.one/film/damage.md)
- *Dismissed From Life* (1992), Music
- *Olivier, Olivier* (1992), Music
- *At Play in the Fields of the Lord* (1991), Original Music Composer
- *The Double Life of Véronique* (1991), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-double-life-of-veronique.md)
- *Eminent Domain* (1991), Music
- *Kieslowski: Dialogue* (1991), Music
- *Europa Europa* (1990), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/europa-europa.md)
- *City Life* (1990), Music
- *The Last Boat* (1990), Music
- *Dekalog* (1989), series, Original Music Composer, Conductor, Score Engineer
- *The Last Schoolbell* (1989), Music
- *Decalogue V* (1989), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/decalogue-v.md)
- *Decalogue VI* (1989), Original Music Composer, Conductor
- *Decalogue I* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Decalogue II* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Decalogue III* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Decalogue IV* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Decalogue VII* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Decalogue X* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Decalogue VIII* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Decalogue IX* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *I Love Cinema* (1988), Original Music Composer
- *To Kill a Priest* (1988), as Songs
- *A Short Film About Love* (1988), Original Music Composer
- *A Short Film About Killing* (1988), Original Music Composer
- *Escape* (1987), Music
- *Przez dotyk* (1986), Music
- *Will There Be a War* (1986), Music
- *I Like Bats* (1986), Original Music Composer
- *The Lullaby* (1986), Music
- *No End* (1985), Original Music Composer
- *The Weather Forecast* (1983), Music
- *Psychoterapia* (1983), Music
- *Requiem*, as Songs

## Gallery

- ![Zbigniew Preisner](https://film.one/media/person/79659/gallery-3c1d692a2400.jpg) Zbigniew Preisner — Sławek, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Zbigniew_Preisner_%28cropped%29.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Sculpture memroized Krzysztof Kieślowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz and Zbigniew Preisner on Walk of Fame in Międzyzdroje. (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/79659/gallery-bc03fc50ad0d.jpg) Sculpture memroized Krzysztof Kieślowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz and Zbigniew Preisner on Walk of Fame in Międzyzdroje. (2014) — Mariochom, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Al_Gwiazd_Krzysztof_Kie%C5%9Blowski%2C_Krzysztof_Piesiewicz%2C_Zbigniew_Preisner.jpg/1280px-Al_Gwiazd_Krzysztof_Kie%C5%9Blowski%2C_Krzysztof_Piesiewicz%2C_Zbigniew_Preisner.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Promenada Gwiazd in Międzyzdroje (Poland) (2007)](https://film.one/media/person/79659/gallery-7ea163256c77.jpg) Promenada Gwiazd in Międzyzdroje (Poland) (2007) — Matio, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Promenada_Mi%C4%99dzyzdroje5.JPG/1280px-Promenada_Mi%C4%99dzyzdroje5.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner and Australian singer/composer Lisa Gerrard at Istanbul Congress Hall. (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/79659/gallery-1339da04bfa8.jpg) Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner and Australian singer/composer Lisa Gerrard at Istanbul Congress Hall. (2014) — Meisam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Zbigniew_Preisner%2C_Lisa_Gerrard_-_Istanbul_Congress_Hall.JPG/1280px-Zbigniew_Preisner%2C_Lisa_Gerrard_-_Istanbul_Congress_Hall.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Zbigniew Preisner](https://film.one/media/person/79659/gallery-81bbd16025e9.jpg) Zbigniew Preisner — Image via TMDB
- ![Light display before Zbigniew Preisner concert at Tauron Arena in Kraków, Poland. (2019)](https://film.one/media/person/79659/gallery-0fc4fc1b0f66.jpg) Light display before Zbigniew Preisner concert at Tauron Arena in Kraków, Poland. (2019) — StachLysy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Zbigniew_Preisner%2C_Tauron_Arena%2C_Krak%C3%B3w.jpg/1280px-Zbigniew_Preisner%2C_Tauron_Arena%2C_Krak%C3%B3w.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Zbigniew Preisner (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/79659/gallery-de9761925b6e.jpg) Zbigniew Preisner (2011) — Fryta 73, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Zbigniew_Preisner_%288926951702%29.jpg/1280px-Zbigniew_Preisner_%288926951702%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Berlin International Film Festival — 1 won

- 1982: an outstanding single achievement (won), for *The Island on Bird Street*

### Other awards — 3 won

- Officer of the Order of Polonia Restituta 2012: Officer of the Order of Polonia Restituta (won)
- César Award for Best Music Written for a Film 1996: César Award for Best Music Written for a Film (won), for *Élisa*
- César Award for Best Music Written for a Film 1995: César Award for Best Music Written for a Film (won), for *Three Colours: Red*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/zbigniew-preisner