Jan Jakub Kolski was born on January 29, 1956, in Wrocław, Poland. He comes from a family with strong ties to the film industry. His father, Roman Kolski, was a film editor, while his sister, Ewa Pakulska, is also a film editor. Kolski's brother, Włodzimierz Kolski, is a production manager, and his paternal grandfather was a film producer.
Kolski's wife, Grażyna Błęcka-Kolska, is an actress, and his early life was marked by a unique experience, as he lived in a small village, Popielawy, near Tomaszów Mazowiecki and Łódź, from age eleven to fourteen. This period had a profound impact on his later work, as it inspired many of his films.
Kolski's career in the film industry began in the late 1970s, when he worked his way up the ranks at a TV station in his hometown, eventually becoming the chief director of photography. He then went on to study cinematography at the renowned Film School in Łódź, where he currently runs a screenplay workshop.
In 2007, Kolski earned his doctoral degree in film art, and he is also a lecturer at Andrzej Wajda Master School of Film Directing.
During the 1980s, Kolski created around twenty short films, many of which won awards in Poland. These shorts showcased his passion for mountain climbing and speleology, earning him the nickname "The Stuntman of Polish cinematography."
More recently, Kolski has created three film diaries documenting his journeys to Asia and South America: Zobaczyc jak najwiecej (To see everything),Gdzie jestes Paititi? (Where are you, Paititi?),and Między rajem a ziemią (Between Paradise and Earth).
Kolski's first feature film, Pogrzeb kartofla (The Burial of a Potato),was released in 1990 and was based on a real story from his maternal grandfather, Jakub Szewczyk. This film, as well as his subsequent works, showcases Kolski's unique vision of the world, enriched with magic, and is considered the founder of the "magical realism" trend in Polish filmmaking.
Since then, Kolski has made numerous films, most of which are set in the same village or mythical countryside, including Pograbek (A Knacker),Magneto, Jańcio Wodnik (Johnnie Aquarius aka Johnnie Waterman),Cudowne miejsce (A Miraculous Place),Grający z talerza (Playing from the Plate),Szabla od komendanta (The Commander's Sword aka Legacy of Steel),and Historia kina w Popielawach (The History of Cinema in Popielawy),all of which were based on his own script.
In 1994, Jańcio Wodnik won the Findling Award at the Filmfestival Cottbus.
