In 1948, he graduated from the Academy of Art in Krakow. His first film Gromada (The Village Mill, 1952) achieved success. Afterwards he made Celuloza (Celullose, 1954) and Pod gwiazda frygijska (Under the Phrygian Star, 1954), which were both adaptations of I. Newerly’s prose. In the 1950s, he became art director of the group “Kadr”, which made the most famous films of the Polish cinematography’s “golden age”. Kawalerowicz made two films Cien (1956) and Prawdziwy koniec wielkiej wojny (Real End of the Great War, 1957). His films Pociag (Night Train, 1959) and Matka Joanna od aniolów (Mother Joan of the Angels, 1961) achieved great success. His other films include: Faraon (Pharaoh, 1966), Gra (The Game, 1968), co production Maddalena (1971, Italija), Smierc prezydenta (Death of a President, 1978), Spotkanie na Atlantyku (Chance Meeting on the Atlantic,1980), Austeria (The Inn, 1983), Jeniec Europy (The Europe Hostage, 1989), Bronsteins Kinder (The Bronstein’s Children, 1991), Za co? (Why?, 1996) and Quo Vadis? (2001).