Polish director Andrzej Wajda will become the first Eastern European film director to receive a lifetime achievement award at this Sunday’s Academy Awards. During a five-decade career, with 44 films to his name – including his 1981 film “Man of Iron,” Wajda’s acclaimed personal show of support for the Solidarity movement – he has revitalized his nation’s film industry. “Last year, for the first time since the end of the communist era and the relaxation of import restrictions on American movies, Polish films logged better box office figures than foreign ones.” – Time (Europe) 03/27/00