Jan Hřebejk
Jan Hřebejk is a Czech film director and actor. His films are known for their reflection on Czech history, family life, and morality.
Life and career
Born in Prague, Hřebejk graduated from high school in 1987 and continued his studies at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague from 1987 to 1991, majoring in screenplay and dramaturgy. He was at FAMU alongside Petr Jarchovský, who is also his classmate from high school and subsequently a frequent collaborator as a screenwriter.While at FAMU, Hřebejk directed and produced two short films, Co všechno chcete vědět o sexu a bojíte se to prožít and L. P. 1948, from scripts written by his classmate Petr Zelenka. His professional directorial debut was a short film for Czech TV, Nedělejte nic, pokud k tomu nemáte vážný důvod, also written by Zelenka. His films caught the attention of viewers and critics, and entered student film festivals.
Also while still at FAMU, Hřebejk and Jarchovský wrote a comedy screenplay inspired by Hřebejk's background at a summer camp, entitled Pejme písen dohola. This screenplay was filmed in 1990 as a full-length feature by director Ondřej Trojan. In 1992, Hřebejk filmed a version of his FAMU graduate thesis, an interpretation of Egon Hostovský's Dobrocinny vecírek.
This was followed by Big Beat, a rock and roll comedy set in the 1950s and Hřebejk's first major box office success. The film was written by Jarchovský, based on a story by Petr Šabach, and won four Czech Lion awards, including Best Film and Best Director for Hřebejk. In 1996, Hřebejk directed a children's TV series, Kde padají hvezdy, which was syndicated around Europe. The following year, Hřebejk and Jarchovský won awards from the Film and Television Association and the Literary Fund for their contribution to dramatic television programming, for three episodes they wrote for the TV series Bachelors.
The writing and production team behind Big Beat subsequently reunited for two further films, Cosy Dens and Divided We Fall, both of which became enormously successful within the Czech Republic.
His 2009 film, Kawasaki's Rose, was selected as the Czech entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards, but didn't make the final shortlist.
Filmography
Director
CinemaCo všechno chcete vědět o sexu a bojíte se to prožít – student movieL.P. 1948 – short movieNedělejte nic, pokud k tomu nemáte vážný důvod – short movieBig Beat Cosy Dens Divided We Fall – 73rd Academy Awards nominationPupendo Up and Down Beauty in Trouble Teddy Bear ''I'm All Good Shameless Kawasaki's Rose Innocence The Holy Quaternity Honeymoon Zakázané uvolnění The Teacher Garden Store: A Family Friend Garden Store: Suitor Garden Store: Deserter State of EmergencyTelevisionThe Charity Ball Czech Soda – TV-seriesGEN: The Gallery of the Nation's Elite – documentary
- * Vladimír Jiránek by Jan Hřebejk GENUS – documentary
- * Michal Viewegh by Jan Hřebejk
- * Vladimír Mišík by Jan Hřebejk
- * Dominik Hašek by Jan Hřebejk60 – documentaryHow's the Living – short documentary TV-seriesWhere Stars Fall – TV seriesThe Last Concert The Window – shortThe Good News
- ''Tomorrow There Will Be...''