Maria Duffek is a production designer, costume designer, and interior decorator. She graduated in Art History from Jagiellonian University and also completed studies at a Postsecondary School of Fashion Design.
She was born and still lives in the capital of Lower Silesia, although, as she told Sylwia Kucharska, “choosing a place to live doesn’t seem obvious in my case, because—as you know—someone working in the film industry simply goes wherever there is something interesting to work on.”

Maria began her career in 1997, working on interior decoration for Jan Hryniak’s debut Przystań and on costumes for the documentaries Cybulski. Ostatnia podróż Joanny Kawalec and Jolanta Popielarz. Her first feature film for which she independently prepared the production design was Jutro będzie niebo (directed by Jarosław Marszewski, 2001; premiered in 2002). This film, awarded at festivals in Gdynia, Koszalin, and Setúbal, was shot in scenic locations across Lower Silesia, including Kotlina Kłodzka, Dzierżoniów, Sobótka, and the Olbrachtowice train station. She also handled interior decoration for Przybyli Ułani, directed by Wrocław filmmaker Sylwester Chęciński.

Over her career, Maria has worked on over 80 productions, including international projects such as the Polish-Russian co-production Break Point (dir. Marek Nowicki, 2002), German films Tage des Sturms (2003) and Die Kinder der Flucht (2006), the Russian series Diversant. Konec Wojny (2007 – filmed at Czocha Castle and in Wrocław, including Kurkowa and Ptasia streets), and Taras Bulba (2009 – shot in locations including Bolesławiec).

Maria Duffek is a member of the Polish Filmmakers Association. At the Wrocław Center for Audiovisual Technologies, she leads a team responsible for restoring costumes from the extensive archive of the institution continuing the traditions of the Wrocław Feature Film Studio.

Compiled by Dawid Junke