Jan Svěrák | |
|---|---|
 Jan Svěrák in 2007 | |
| Born | (1965-02-06)6 February 1965 (age 60) |
| Alma mater | Academy of Performing Arts in Prague |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1988–present |
Jan Svěrák (Czech pronunciation:[ˈjanˈsvjɛraːk]; born 6 February 1965) is aCzechfilm director and screenwriter. He is the son of screenwriter and actorZdeněk 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-winningKolya and the Oscar-nominatedThe Elementary School.
Jan Svěrák was born on 6 February 1965 inŽatec, into a family of pedagogues. About one year after his birth, the family moved toPrague and his fatherZdeněk 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 theBarrandov Studios. He originally wanted to be a cameraman, but graduated from the documentary filmmaking atFilm 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 afilm editor and collaborated with his father on the filmBethlehem Night (2022).[4]
Svěrák is considered one of the most talented and successful Czech filmmakers, which is why he is sometimes nicknamed the "CzechSpielberg".[5] His mockumentary debutOil Gobblers (1988) won student Academy Award for Best Student Film. His notable work includes the filmsKolya (1996), which won theAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, andThe Elementary School (1991), nominated on the Academy Award. The success of these films caused him to receive offers from Hollywood to directThe Cider House Rules (1999) andChocolat (2000), but he declined. His other successful film is the fairy-tale filmThree Brothers, which was the most-attended film in Czech cinemas in 2014.[1]
Svěrák has appeared incameo roles in several films, includingAn Uncertain Season (1987),An Ambiguous Report About the End of the World (1997),Rebelové (2001),Román pro ženy (2005),Guard No. 47 (2008) andBarefoot (2017).[2]
| 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 forAcademy Award[6] |
| 1994 | The Ride | Jízda | Yes | Yes | Crystal Globe Award atKarlovy 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 |
After filming Barefoot (2017), Jan Svěrák expressed a desire to retreat into seclusion, away from popularity. He began writing the memoirsSvětakrásy ('World Beauties'), which was published in 2023.[8] His other books are the child bookKuky se vrací (2010), based on his film of the same name, andBohemia (a novel published in 2019).[5]
In 2024, his first theatre play,Dobré ráno s Findou ('Good Morning with Finda'), debuted.[9]
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