Władysław "Wladek" Szpilman (Polish pronunciation: [vwaˈdɨswaf ˈʂpʲilman]; 5 December 1911 – 6 July 2000) was a Polish pianist and classical composer. Szpilman is widely known as the protagonist of the 2002 Roman Polanski film The Pianist, which is based on the book "The Pianist" recounting his survival of the German occupation of Warsaw and the Holocaust.