High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Pianist is a 2002 film directed by Roman Polanski, starring Adrien Brody. It is an adaptation of the autobiography of the same name by Jewish-Polish musician W?adys?aw Szpilman. The film is a co-production between Polish, French, German, and British film companies. In addition to winning the Palme d'Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, the film won the Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was also awarded seven French Césars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Brody (who became the only American actor to win one). W?adys?aw Szpilman (Brody), a famous Polish Jewish pianist working for Warsaw Radio, sees his whole world collapse with the outbreak of World War II and the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. After the radio station is rocked by explosions from German bombing, Szpilman goes home and learns that Great Britain and France have declared war on Nazi Germany. He and his family rejoice, believing the war will end quickly.