Film director Roman Polanski was born on August 18, 1933, in Paris, France. His family moved to Poland when he was three years old, but his parents were sent to a concentration camp during World War II, and Polanski himself fled, moving from one relative's home to another. After the war, he developed an interest in film, and began acting on stage and in films at age 14. Around the same time, he enrolled in the Film School in Lodz and made several short films. His 1962 feature debut, "Knife in the Water," attracted attention after winning the FIPRESCI Prize at the Venice Film Festival. His follow-up, "Repulsion," won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1965, and "Cul-de-sac" won the Golden Bear at the same festival in 1966. After moving to the United States, his film "Rosemary's Baby" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and he subsequently received nominations for Best Director for "Chinatown" and "Tess." In 2002, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for The Legend, a film about the Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman. At the time, he was 69 years old, making him the oldest recipient of the award.

While he is acclaimed as a film director, Polanski is also known for his many scandals. Sharon Tate, whom he married in 1968, was brutally murdered by a cult in their home. In 1977, he was arrested on suspicion of sexual misconduct. In 1989, he married Emmanuelle Seigner for the third time.

The documentary Roman Polanski: First Confessions, which tells Polanski's story from his childhood to the present, is currently in theaters. It features a long interview with his longtime business partner, Andrew Braunsberg, as well as footage of the film's production.