Marian Terlecki (1954-2010) was a filmmaker (producer and director) and an activist of the democratic movement in Gdansk in the 1980s. As a young journalist, working in the local television, he recognised a need to document important changes happening in the country, and not covered by official media. Along with fellow film makers and activists he started to organise necessary equipment, however it proved to be impossible task in socialist Poland, suffering from constant deficiencies. Luckily, help came from the West. For the I National Congress of the “Solidarity” Trade Union (organised in Gdansk in September-October 1981) a gift was sent from the International Trade Union Confederation from Brussels: a video camera SONY U-matic HB, montage set and a hundred of cassettes. Thanks to the donation, the “Solidarity” News Agency [Biuro Informacyjno-Prasowe Solidarność] was extended with a Television Agency of “Solidarity”, run by Marian Terlecki. "Solidarity” filmmakers documented the union’s most important events: public appearances of its leaders and meetings of its authorities. Still in 1981, Terlecki directed the first documentary film (“Candidate” [“Kandydat”], about Lech Walesa’s appointment as a leader).

When in the night of 12/13 December 1981 the martial state was introduced, Terlecki was lucky enough to avoid imprisonment, as he was filming out of Gdansk. However, he had to hide for the next 21 months. Since the "Solidarity" was banned, the filmmakers had to go to the underground. Since 1983, thanks to Terlecki's efforts, documenting the events became possible again, after gaining Catholic Church protection. With financial and institutional help of the Church, the most important oppositional events were recorded. Since 1983 the group started to operate as Video Studio Gdansk, with Terlecki as its unofficial leader. However, all the activities were stopped when in 1985 Terlecki got arrested for 16 months for not returning the video equipment belonging to banned “Solidarity” (precious camera was confiscated by the militia). Yet in 1987, again with strong institutional support of the Church, the film makers managed to resume their actions (under the name Działu Dokumentacji i Pomocy Duszpasterskich "Video").

In the 1990s Marian Terlecki founded his own film production company and became a member of managing boards in several national media channels. He produced numerous featured films (such as awarded "Primate – three years in a thousand" ("Prymas – trzy lata z tysiąca")), documentaries, television programmes and theatres. In 2010 he was rewarded by the Polish President with the Order of Polonia Restituta for his merits in the activity for democratic changes and creative work.