Otakar Vávra

Directing·Feb 28, 1911·Hradec Králové, Austria-Hungary [now Czech Republic]

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Otakar Vávra (28 February 1911 – 15 September 2011) was a Czech film director, screenwriter and pedagogue. Vávra attended universities in Brno and Prague, where he studied architecture. During 1929–30, while still a student, he participated in the making of a handful of documentaries and wrote movie scripts. In 1931, he produced the experimental film Světlo proniká tmou. The first movie he directed was 1937's Panenství. His 1938 film The Merry Wives was praised in Variety for "first-rate direction, a salty yarn and elaborate production effort", even though it had undergone certain cuts because it was considered too "ribald" by American censors. Vávra was a member of the Communist Party from 1945 to 1989. After the Communists seized power in 1948, Vávra adapted quickly to the new political climate and produced films praising the current regime and supporting the new, official interpretation of the past. In the 1950s he filmed the "Hussite Trilogy", one of his most famous works, consisting of Jan Hus (1954), Jan Žižka (1955) and Against All (1957).[2] In the 1960s, Vávra made his most celebrated films Zlatá reneta (1965), Romance for Bugle (1966) and Witchhammer (1969). Romance for Bugle was entered into the 5th Moscow International Film Festival where it won the Special Silver Prize. In the 1970s Vávra produced his "War Trilogy" consisting of semi-documentary movies Dny zrady, Sokolovo and Osvobození Prahy, all being heavily influenced by communist propaganda. The film Dny zrady (Days of Betrayal, 1973) was entered into the 8th Moscow International Film Festival where it won a Diploma. In 1979 he was a member of the jury at the 11th Moscow International Film Festival. Since the 1950s Vávra taught film direction at Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Among his students were several directors of the "Czech New Wave".

Film	Credit
CzechMate: In Search of Jiří Menzel2018 · Self	Self
Searching for Ester2005 · Himself	Himself
MMoje Praha2002 · Self, Director, Screenplay	Self, Director, Screenplay
EEvropa tančila valčík1989 · Director	Director
The Great Movie Robbery1987 · Actor	Actor
Veronika1986 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
Oldrich and Bozena1985 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
BBarrandovské nokturno aneb Jak film tančil a zpíval1985 · Self - Audience Member	Self - Audience Member
Komediant1984 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
Putování Jana Amose1983 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Dark Sun1980 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
A Story of Love and Honor1978 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
The Liberation of Prague1977 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Sokolovo1975 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Days of Betrayal1973 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Witchhammer1970 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
The Thirteenth Chamber1969 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
Romance for Bugle1967 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Golden Queen1965 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
HHoroucí srdce1963 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
The Night Guest1961 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
August Sunday1961 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Policejní hodina1961 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
NNárodní umělec Zdeněk Štěpánek1960 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
První parta1960 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
Občan Brych1959 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
AA Box of Film1958 · Self	Self
Against All1957 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Jan Žižka1956 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
Jan Hus1955 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
Shoesmachine1954 · Screenplay	Screenplay
NNástup1953 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
LLáska1950 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
YYear of the Revolution 18481949 · Screenplay	Screenplay
Hostinec „U kamenného stolu“1949 · Screenplay	Screenplay
Silent Barricade1949 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
Krakatit1948 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
PPresentiment1947 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
The Adventurous Bachelor1946 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
CCesta k barikádám1946 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Rozina the Love Child1945 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
VVlast vítá1945 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
NNávrat presidenta dr. Edvarda Beneše do Prahy 16. května 19451945 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Happy Journey1943 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Přijdu hned1942 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Okouzlená1942 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
TTurbina1941 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
May Fairy Tale1940 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay