Jiří Menzel

Jiří Menzel opened the door to the world of film with a bang, his feature debut Closely Watched Trains based on the literary novel by Bohumil Hrabal brought him worldwide acclaim, including the American Academy Award. Adaptations of literary classics became the focus of Menzel's work for some time; among other works by Hrabal (Larks on a String, Cutting It Short, A Feast of Snowdrops), he also adapted Vladislav Vančura's novels (The End of Old Times and Capricious Summer) in an unforgettable way. Menzel's acting career is also remarkable; he portrayed specific heroes, often shy, clumsy and absent-minded men, both in the films of his colleagues (The Apple Game, The Vampire of Ferato, Run, He Is Coming!) and in his own films (Closely Watched Trains, Capricious Summer). Jiří Menzel's films are loved by audiences and have not gone unrecognised by film critics, festivals and academies. In addition to the aforementioned Oscar, his films have also won awards at the Berlinale, Venice and the Czech Lion. The Berlinale has also awarded Menzel with the Berlinale Camera Award for personalities to whom this important festival has a special relationship.