Family and films fill the life of graduand Michal

Published On Wed 18 Jun 2014 by Grant Hill

During his time at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD), Michal Zagorski has won awards, had work screened at prestigious film festivals, established a production company and made music videos for bands but he is in no doubt about his greatest achievement – his baby daughter Aniela.

Michal, originally from Krakow in Poland, will graduate with a degree in Time Based Art and Digital Film at the University of Dundee’s ceremony on the afternoon of Thursday, 19th June. Typically given the hectic schedule he has kept up over the past few years, he will be unable to attend his Graduation in person, but things are still considerably calmer than in the last few weeks of his studies, which coincided with the birth of Aniela.

For his Degree Show exhibit, the 28-year-old made Tea People, a documentary capturing the stories of hardship from the impoverished people who produce the tea consumed in western nations. Having won funding from DJCAD to enable him to make the film, Michal flew out to Darjeeling, India for a three-week filming stint. Unfortunately the timing could hardly have been worse as his wife, Edyta, was only and a month-and-a-half from her due date.

Happily, Michal made it back to Dundee before Aniela was born on 10th May but his responsibilities as a new father and work as a cleaner meant he was running on empty as he put the finishing touches to his Degree Show film. Tea People has been winning plaudits for its ambition and artistry and will be screened internationally later this year, but was it worth it?

“It was completely exhausting and it was very hard on my wife, who has been supportive and patient in allowing me to do this,” he said. “The filming and production was a race against time and I’m just glad everything came together. Going to India was an amazing experience and meeting the people I did meant I came back with an entirely new attitude to life.

“I realised just how important family is and so to come back and almost instantly see my beautiful baby daughter born was incredible. I have always worked hard to make money and felt the need to express my creativity but it was the birth of Aniela, coming so soon after my experiences in India, that made me feel complete.”

Michal moved to Scotland in 2006 and worked in a variety of jobs, including as a furniture warehouseman and landscape gardener, before enrolling at Dundee College. A talented amateur actor in his homeland, Michal also joined the Dundee Rep community group but found the language acted as a barrier to his progress.

After impressing on a Media Analysis and Film Direction course at College, Michal was encouraged by his tutors to apply for DJCAD, where he has proved to be a gifted cinematographer, bringing his keen eye and passion for the craft, to a vast array of film productions, including commercials, documentaries and music videos.

In 2011 he founded Little Earth Productions, a filmmaking collective whose work has been screened locally and internationally, including at the Sundance Film Festival and Hollywood for Filmapalooza, 2013. He also won the KCA Creative Award and Royal Television Society Student Television Award 2013 and is continuing to receive freelance commissions for a variety of projects as he builds a career in the industry.

“I always felt I was a creative person and my parents encouraged me to follow my passions. Once I discovered filmmaking I was very driven and there was a danger that this would lead to me missing out on family life. I will continue to work hard to pursue my ambitions professionally but the past couple of months have really taught me what the most important things in life really are and I will never forget that my first priority is to my family.”

Thousands of successful students will feel the tap of the Dundee bonnet this week as the University of Dundee hosts its graduation ceremonies in the Caird Hall.

Six graduation ceremonies will take place over the course of the week, a time of great celebration for students and their families. Just under 3000 students will graduate with degrees, postgraduate diplomas and diplomas.

Students in their robes will fill City Square before and after each ceremony, with many later making their way to the Garden Parties held in the heart of the University campus.

The traditional Dundee bonnet - spun, woven, dyed and embroidered for the University by the Dundee Bonnetmakers Craft - is used by the Chancellor, Lord Patel of Dunkeld, symbolically to confer degrees on graduates.

The graduation ceremonies begin on Wednesday and run for the rest of the week, with morning and afternoon ceremonies each day. The morning ceremonies begin at 10am, and the afternoon ceremonies at 2.30pm. Graduation garden parties take place each day at the Campus Green, Balfour Place, from 4 pm to 7 pm.

 

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

The ceremonies taking place this week are:

 Wednesday 18th June

10 am – School of Business; School of Law; Graduate School of Natural Resources, Law, Policy and Management (Honorary degree presented to David Sigsworth)

2.30pm – College of Life Sciences; School of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics (Honorary degree presented to Ronald Laskey)

 Thursday 19th June

10am – School of the Environment; School of Education, Social Work and Community Education; School of Computing (Honorary degrees presented to Chris van der Kuyl and David Baulcombe)

2.30pm – Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design; School of Psychology (Honorary degree presented to Danny Wallace)

 Friday 20th June

10am – School of Humanities; School of Nursing and Midwifery (Honorary degrees presented to Bill Herbert and Leymah Gbowee)

2.30pm – School of Dentistry; School of Medicine (Honorary degrees presented to Mei Lin Young and Chris Marshall. Professor Marshall’s degree is to be collected by Karen Vousden, Director of the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research)

 There will be photo opportunities with each of the Honorary Graduates before the ceremony in the Robing Room of Dundee City Chambers. These will be from 9.30 am for the morning ceremonies (which begin at 10 am) and 2 pm for the afternoon ceremonies (which begin at 2.30 pm).

 

For media enquiries contact:

Grant Hill

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University of Dundee

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