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Jan Svěrák

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Jan Svěrák
Jan Svěrák in 2007
Born (1965-02-06) 6 February 1965 (age 60)
Žatec, Czechoslovakia
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter
Years active1988–present

Jan Svěrák (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjan ˈsvjɛraːk]; born 6 February 1965) is a Czech film director and screenwriter. He is the son of screenwriter and actor Zdeněk Svěrák, with whom he collaborated on his most successful films. He is among the most recognized Czech filmmakers. His best-known films are the Oscar-winning Kolya and the Oscar-nominated The Elementary School.

Life

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Jan Svěrák was born on 6 February 1965 in Žatec, into a family of pedagogues. Soon after his birth, the family moved to Prague and his father Zdeněk Svěrák became a screenwriter and actor.[1] He made his first amateur filmmaking attempts at the age of twelve. As a teenager, he earned extra money by working at the Barrandov Studios. He originally wanted to be a cameraman, but graduated from the documentary filmmaking at Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (1983–1988).[2]

Jan Svěrák is married and has three children, sons František and Ondřej, and daughter Kateřina.[3] František became a film editor and collaborated with his father on the film Bethlehem Night (2022).[4]

Work

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Svěrák is considered one of the most talented and successful Czech filmmakers, which is why he is sometimes nicknamed the Czech Spielberg.[5] His mockumentary debut Oil Gobblers (1988) won student Academy Award for Best Student Film. His notable work includes the films Kolya (1996), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and The Elementary School (1991), nominated on the Academy Award. The success of these films caused him to receive offers from Hollywood to direct The Cider House Rules (1999) and Chocolat (2000), but he declined. His other successful film is the fairy-tale film Three Brothers, which was the most-attended film in Czech cinemas in 2014.[1]

Svěrák has appeared in cameo roles in several films, including An Uncertain Season (1987), An Ambiguous Report About the End of the World (1997), Rebelové (2001), Román pro ženy (2005), Guard No. 47 (2008) and Barefoot (2017).[2]

Filmography

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Year English title Czech title Director Writer Awards
1988 Oil Gobblers Ropáci Yes Yes Student Academy Award for Best Student Film
1991 The Elementary School Obecná škola Yes No Nomination for Academy Award[6]
1994 The Ride Jízda Yes Yes Crystal Globe Award at Karlovy Vary Festival
1994 Accumulator 1 Akumulátor 1 Yes Yes
1996 Kolya Kolja Yes No Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film,[7]
Czech Lion Award for Best Director
2001 Dark Blue World Tmavomodrý svět Yes No Czech Lion Award for Best Director
2004 Tatínek Daddy Yes No
2007 Empties Vratné lahve Yes No Czech Lion Award for Best Director
2010 Kooky Kuky se vrací Yes Yes
2014 Three Brothers Tři bratři Yes No
2017 Barefoot Po strništi bos Yes Yes
2022 Bethlehem Night Betlémské světlo Yes Yes

Literary and theatre work

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After filming Barefoot (2017), Jan Svěrák expressed a desire to retreat into seclusion, away from popularity. He began writing the memoirs Světakrásy ('World Beauties'), which was published in 2023.[8] His other books are the child book Kuky se vrací (2010), based on his film of the same name, and Bohemia (a novel published in 2019).[5]

In 2024, his first theatre play, Dobré ráno s Findou ('Good Morning with Finda'), debuted.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dlouhý, Hynek (6 February 2015). "Půl století a devět skvělých filmů! Oscar! Žatecký rodák Jan Svěrák slaví 50". Deník.cz. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Jan Svěrák". Filmový přehled (in Czech). NFA. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  3. ^ Laštovka, David (6 February 2024). "Jan Svěrák má s manželkou tři děti. Úkolem muže je ustát emocionální bouře, tvrdí". iprima.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  4. ^ "Když byl František v pubertě, říkali jsme: Nemůžeš dělat ostudu dědovi! usmívá se Jan Svěrák" (in Czech). Czech Radio. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  5. ^ a b Podskalská, Jana (6 February 2025). "Naší jedinou zbraní je humor, říká čerstvý šedesátník Jan Svěrák". Deník.cz. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  6. ^ "The 64th Academy Awards (1992) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  7. ^ "The 69th Academy Awards (1997) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Chtěl jsem slézt z plakátů a neusilovat o to být slavný, přiznává Jan Svěrák" (in Czech). Czech Radio. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  9. ^ Skalníková, Kristýna (11 July 2024). "Jan Svěrák: Vstupujeme do nového období puritánství, některé věci se nesmějí vyslovit" (in Czech). Czech Radio. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
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