Jiří Menzel () (23 February 1938 – 5 September 2020) was a Czech film director, theatre director, actor, and screenwriter. His films often combine a humanistic view of the world with sarcasm and provocative cinematography. Some of these films are adapted from works by Czech writers such as Bohumil Hrabal and Vladislav Vančura.

Early life Menzel was born in Prague in 1938 to Josef Menzel and Božena Jindřichová. His father Josef was a journalist, translator and children's book writer. Menzel studied directing at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) in Prague. His teachers at the academy included Czech Director Otakar Vávra.

Career Menzel was a member of the Czech New Wave cinema in the 1960s. His first feature film, Closely Watched Trains, won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1967. The film was a World War II drama based on a book by Bohumil Hrabal. His film Larks on a String was filmed in 1969, but was banned by the government censors. It was finally released in 1990 after the fall of the Communist regime. The film won the Golden Bear at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival in 1990. The film was also based on a book by Bohumil Hrabal, and spoke about life in a re-education camp in Czechoslovakia under the communist rule in the 1950s.

Menzel was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film again in 1986 with his dark comedy My Sweet Little Village. In 1987, he was a member of the jury at the 37th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1989, he was a member of the jury at the 16th Moscow International Film Festival. In 1995, he was a member of the jury at the 19th Moscow International Film Festival. He was awarded an IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award in November 2013. He was also awarded the French title of Knight of Arts and Letters and the Czech Lion for lifetime artistic contribution.

In the 1980s, he was offered the chance by a West German television studio to make a television series version of The Good Soldier Švejk with Rudolf Hrušínský. He didn't get the permission from the Czechoslovak government, however.

His last appearance in a feature film was in the 2018 Slovak film The Interpreter, which was based on the story of a man's interactions with an SS soldier who had executed his parents. The film was Slovakia's official entry to the Oscars.

Death Menzel died on 5 September 2020, aged 82, after battling a prolonged illness. He had undergone a brain surgery earlier in 2017. He is survived by his wife Olga Menzelová, and daughters, Anna Karolina and Eva Maria. Menzel's wife confirmed on 9 November 2020 that Menzel died as a result of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Filmography Sources:

As a director Year English title Original title Notes 1960Prefabricated HousesDomy z panelů School film 1963Our Mr. Foerster DiedUmřel nám pan Foerster School film1963Something DifferentO něčem jinémassistant director 1965Concert '65Koncert 65 Short documentary 1965Crime at the Girls SchoolZločin v dívčí škole Segment "Crime at the Girls School", also screenwriter 1966Pearls of the DeepPerličky na dně Segment "Smrt pana Baltazara" (The Death of Mr. Balthazar), also screenwriter 1966Closely Watched TrainsOstře sledované vlakyalso screenwriter, Academy Award winner 1968Crime in a Music HallZločin v šantánualso screenwriter 1968Capricious SummerRozmarné létoalso screenwriter 1969Larks on a StringSkřivánci na niti also screenwriter, banned and not released until 1990 1974Altered LandscapesProměny krajiny Short documentary 1974Who Looks for Gold?Kdo hledá zlaté dnoalso screenwriter 1976Seclusion Near a ForestNa samotě u lesa 1978Those Wonderful Movie CranksBáječní muži s klikoualso screenwriter 1980Cutting It ShortPostřižinyalso screenwriter 1981Tři v tom TV theatre1982Krasosmutnění TV filmDr. Johann Faust, Praha II., Karlovo nám. 40 TV theatre 1983Best Wishes From Planet EarthSrdečný pozdrav ze zeměkoule 1984The Snowdrop FestivalSlavnosti sněženekalso screenwriter 1985My Sweet Little VillageVesničko má středisková Nominated for Academy Award 1986Die Schokoladenschnüffler 1989The End of Old TimesKonec starých časůalso screenwriter 1991Audience TV film 1991Beggar's OperaŽebrácká operaalso screenwriter 1993Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan ChonkinŽivot a neobyčejná dobrodružství vojáka Ivana ČonkinaNominated for 8 Czech Lion Awards 1998Jacobowski a plukovník TV theatre 2002Ten Minutes Older Segment "One Moment" 2006I Served the King of EnglandObsluhoval jsem anglického králealso screenwriter, nominated for 11 Czech Lion Awards, won 5 2013The Don JuansDonšajnialso screenwriter

As an actor Strop (Short film) (1962) Place in the Crowd (1964) Obžalovaný (1964) Courage for Every Day (1964) If a Thousand Clarinets (1965) Pension pro svobodné pány (TV Movie) (1965) Pearls of the Deep (1965) Nobody Will Laugh (1965) Searching (1966) Volejte Martina (1966) Closely Watched Trains (1966) Flám (1966) Return of the Prodigal Son (1967) Hotel for Strangers (1967) Private Hurricane (1967) Dita Saxová (1968) Capricious Summer (1968) Crime in a Music Hall (1968) The Cremator (1969) Larks on a String (1969)

Nevěsta (1970) Straw Hat (1972) (1972, voiced by Eberhard Esche) Thirty Maidens and Pythagoras (1973) The Apple Game (1976) Modrá planeta (1977) The Woman Across the Way (1978) Those Wonderful Movie Cranks (1979) Every Wednesday (1979) Hra na telo (1979) Koportos (1980) (1981) Tale of the Little Quarter (TV Movie) (1981) Szívzür (1982) Ferat Vampire (1982) Švédská zápalka (TV Movie) (1982) Babička se zbláznila (TV Movie) (1982) Srdečný pozdrav ze zeměkoule (1983) Fandy, ó Fandy (1983) Sedm křížků (TV Movie) (1983) Felhöjáték (1984) Albert (TV Movie) (1985) Run, He Is Coming! (1987)

Dámská jízda (TV Movie) (1988) Stvoření světa (TV Movie) (1989) Zvláštní bytosti (1990) (1990) Martha and I (1990) Zvonokosy (TV Movie) (1990) Pražský student (TV Mini-Series) (1990) The Elementary School (1991) Das lange Gespräch mit dem Vogel (TV Movie) (1992) The Little Apocalypse (1993) Všetko čo mám rád (1993) Joint Venture (1994) Revenge (1995) (1995) Too Loud a Solitude (1996) Truck Stop (1996) Drákulův švagr (TV Mini-Series) (1996) Franciska vasárnapjai (1997) Hospoda (TV Series) (1996-1997) All My Loved Ones (1999) Zimní víla (TV Movie) (1999) When Grandpa Loved Rita Hayworth (2000) The Sunken Cemetery (2002) (2002) (2004) Rokonok (2006) Teddy Bear (2007) A bárány utolsó megkísértése (TV Movie) (2008) Setkání v Praze, s vraždou (TV Movie) (2009) Operation Dunaj (2009) (TV Series) (2009) The Door (2012) (TV Series) (2012–14) The Interpreter (2018)

See also CzechMate: In Search of Jiří Menzel List of Czech Academy Award winners and nominees

References

External links