Jan Svěrák

Directing

Jan Svěrák

Born

1965-02-06 (61)

Place of birth

Žatec, Protektorát Čechy a Morava [now Czech Republic]

Known for

Directing

Credits

41 titles

Jan Svěrák (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjan ˈsvjɛraːk]) (born 6 February 1965 in Žatec) is a Czech film director. He is the son of screenwriter and actor Zdeněk Svěrák. He studied documentary filmmaking at FAMU. He and his films have received many awards, including the Academy Award, Crystal Globe, Golden Globe Award, and Tokyo Grand Prix. He lives in Prague. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jan Svěrák, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Kolya poster
7.4

After a fictitious marriage with a Russian emigrant, Cellisten Louka, a Czech man, must suddenly take responsibility for her son. However, it’s not long before the communication barrier is broken between the two new family members.

Kolya

1996

Dark Blue World poster
6.9

Lt. Franta Slama is a top pilot in the Czech Air Force who is assigned to train a promising young flier, Karel Vojtisek, and they soon become friends. When Nazi Germany invades Czechoslovakia in 1939, they both reject the authority of their new leaders and escape to England where they join other Czech exiles in the RAF. While flying a mission over England, Karel crash lands and happens upon the farmhouse of Susan, a young woman whose husband is in the Navy. Karel soon falls head over heels for Susan but, while they enjoy a brief fling, in time Susan decides she prefers the company of the older and more worldly Franta. As Franta and Karel struggle to maintain their friendship despite their romantic rivalry.

Dark Blue World

2001

Kooky poster
6.7

Young Ondra has asthma and so his parents throw away his favourite toy: a musty old stuffed bear named Kooky. That night Ondra dreams that Kooky is determined to find his way back home from the dump. In the boy's fantasy, the bear gets lost in a forest occupied by strange animals and remarkable beings that he never heard of while living on the toy shelf in Ondra's room. And of course even in this small imaginary world, true good exists as does real evil, which Kooky must face up to in order to become a real hero.

Kooky

2010

FAMU 80 – Best of poster
NR

This series of short films offers a representative cross-section of the work produced at this famous Prague film school over the course of its 80-year history.

FAMU 80 – Best of

2026

Three Brothers poster
6.6

Three brothers leave their home to see the world. During their journey, young men as by miracle enter into famous fairy tales (Little Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Twelve Months) and face traps, unexpected moments and even love in a story full of humor and songs.

Three Brothers

2014

Empties poster
6.8

Czech literature teacher Josef Tkaloun, who is past retirement age, realises one day that he no longer understands his pupils, and so he quits… dramatically. What he does not predict is that in doing this he will lose his sense of place in society.

Empties

2007

Film credits

2000s · 4 titles

1990s · 2 titles

An Ambiguous Report About the End of the World poster
6.7

Set over a two-decade period in a tiny Central European village, this drama not only chronicles a couple's tragic star-crossed love, it also serves as a metaphor for the tragedy of lost traditions. After opening in the snowy wilds as two people spectacularly die, the story jumps back 20 years as young Verona prepares to marry. Unfortunately, voracious wolves descend upon the ceremony and all but Verona and her courageous 10-year-old brother-in-law Goran, who saves her, perish. That day, Verona gives birth to Veronika and promptly betroths her daughter to the heroic Goran. A decade passes and on Veronika's 10th birthday, her engagement to Goran is formally announced at a big party. Festivities halt when a troupe of female circus performers and their sly employer Madina show up. Veronika soon finds herself more interested in Madina's young son Michal than she is in the adult Goran. Meanwhile, the worldly Madina attempts to adjust to life in an old-fashioned village.

An Ambiguous Report About the End of the World

1997

Válka barev poster
6.7

Young photographer Ondřej's hobby revolves around flying ultralight aircraft. During one such flight, he spots two men at a lonely villa, one of whom is shooting at the other. He manages to photograph the scene, but is spotted in the process. Before he can develop the film, it is accidentally destroyed. Shortly thereafter, he meets a sad model named Viktorie and a wealthy businessman named Walter Rychman at a rock club, who offers him a job. Upon his return, he discovers that someone has searched his studio and soon realizes that Walter was the one who fired the shots. Although the businessman claims it was paintball, he asks Ondřej for the negative, and when the photographer tells him he doesn't have it, he threatens him. Ondřej decides to get to the bottom of the mystery and embarks on an investigation on his own. However, he becomes increasingly entangled in a confusing game that is difficult to navigate.

Válka barev

1995

Behind the camera

Kolya poster
7.4

After a fictitious marriage with a Russian emigrant, Cellisten Louka, a Czech man, must suddenly take responsibility for her son. However, it’s not long before the communication barrier is broken between the two new family members.

Kolya

1996

Kolya poster
7.4

After a fictitious marriage with a Russian emigrant, Cellisten Louka, a Czech man, must suddenly take responsibility for her son. However, it’s not long before the communication barrier is broken between the two new family members.

Kolya

1996

Dark Blue World poster
6.9

Lt. Franta Slama is a top pilot in the Czech Air Force who is assigned to train a promising young flier, Karel Vojtisek, and they soon become friends. When Nazi Germany invades Czechoslovakia in 1939, they both reject the authority of their new leaders and escape to England where they join other Czech exiles in the RAF. While flying a mission over England, Karel crash lands and happens upon the farmhouse of Susan, a young woman whose husband is in the Navy. Karel soon falls head over heels for Susan but, while they enjoy a brief fling, in time Susan decides she prefers the company of the older and more worldly Franta. As Franta and Karel struggle to maintain their friendship despite their romantic rivalry.

Dark Blue World

2001

Dark Blue World poster
6.9

Lt. Franta Slama is a top pilot in the Czech Air Force who is assigned to train a promising young flier, Karel Vojtisek, and they soon become friends. When Nazi Germany invades Czechoslovakia in 1939, they both reject the authority of their new leaders and escape to England where they join other Czech exiles in the RAF. While flying a mission over England, Karel crash lands and happens upon the farmhouse of Susan, a young woman whose husband is in the Navy. Karel soon falls head over heels for Susan but, while they enjoy a brief fling, in time Susan decides she prefers the company of the older and more worldly Franta. As Franta and Karel struggle to maintain their friendship despite their romantic rivalry.

Dark Blue World

2001

Kooky poster
6.7

Young Ondra has asthma and so his parents throw away his favourite toy: a musty old stuffed bear named Kooky. That night Ondra dreams that Kooky is determined to find his way back home from the dump. In the boy's fantasy, the bear gets lost in a forest occupied by strange animals and remarkable beings that he never heard of while living on the toy shelf in Ondra's room. And of course even in this small imaginary world, true good exists as does real evil, which Kooky must face up to in order to become a real hero.

Kooky

2010

Kooky poster
6.7

Young Ondra has asthma and so his parents throw away his favourite toy: a musty old stuffed bear named Kooky. That night Ondra dreams that Kooky is determined to find his way back home from the dump. In the boy's fantasy, the bear gets lost in a forest occupied by strange animals and remarkable beings that he never heard of while living on the toy shelf in Ondra's room. And of course even in this small imaginary world, true good exists as does real evil, which Kooky must face up to in order to become a real hero.

Kooky

2010

Kooky poster
6.7

Young Ondra has asthma and so his parents throw away his favourite toy: a musty old stuffed bear named Kooky. That night Ondra dreams that Kooky is determined to find his way back home from the dump. In the boy's fantasy, the bear gets lost in a forest occupied by strange animals and remarkable beings that he never heard of while living on the toy shelf in Ondra's room. And of course even in this small imaginary world, true good exists as does real evil, which Kooky must face up to in order to become a real hero.

Kooky

2010

FAMU 80 – Best of poster
NR

This series of short films offers a representative cross-section of the work produced at this famous Prague film school over the course of its 80-year history.

FAMU 80 – Best of

2026

Three Brothers poster
6.6

Three brothers leave their home to see the world. During their journey, young men as by miracle enter into famous fairy tales (Little Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Twelve Months) and face traps, unexpected moments and even love in a story full of humor and songs.

Three Brothers

2014

Three Brothers poster
6.6

Three brothers leave their home to see the world. During their journey, young men as by miracle enter into famous fairy tales (Little Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Twelve Months) and face traps, unexpected moments and even love in a story full of humor and songs.

Three Brothers

2014

Empties poster
6.8

Czech literature teacher Josef Tkaloun, who is past retirement age, realises one day that he no longer understands his pupils, and so he quits… dramatically. What he does not predict is that in doing this he will lose his sense of place in society.

Empties

2007

Empties poster
6.8

Czech literature teacher Josef Tkaloun, who is past retirement age, realises one day that he no longer understands his pupils, and so he quits… dramatically. What he does not predict is that in doing this he will lose his sense of place in society.

Empties

2007

Five plums poster
6.3

Věra lives alone and nothing seems to be waiting for her in life. She misses the time when she used to be truly happy – when she went to the sea with her friends. However, only debris remains of the old group and it is not certain whether they will be able to handle such an adventure. Nevertheless, they long to set sail together once again on the open sea towards idyllic bays and sunsets. Little does she know that the greatest threat to their expedition will not be the sea, nor the old grievances that will surface during the journey, but their own children, who have no sympathy for their elderly parents' crazy trip.

Five plums

2026

Five plums poster
6.3

Věra lives alone and nothing seems to be waiting for her in life. She misses the time when she used to be truly happy – when she went to the sea with her friends. However, only debris remains of the old group and it is not certain whether they will be able to handle such an adventure. Nevertheless, they long to set sail together once again on the open sea towards idyllic bays and sunsets. Little does she know that the greatest threat to their expedition will not be the sea, nor the old grievances that will surface during the journey, but their own children, who have no sympathy for their elderly parents' crazy trip.

Five plums

2026

Five plums poster
6.3

Věra lives alone and nothing seems to be waiting for her in life. She misses the time when she used to be truly happy – when she went to the sea with her friends. However, only debris remains of the old group and it is not certain whether they will be able to handle such an adventure. Nevertheless, they long to set sail together once again on the open sea towards idyllic bays and sunsets. Little does she know that the greatest threat to their expedition will not be the sea, nor the old grievances that will surface during the journey, but their own children, who have no sympathy for their elderly parents' crazy trip.

Five plums

2026

The Elementary School poster
7.3

The time is 1945-46. 10 year old Eda and his friend Tonda live in a small village outside Prague. In school, their class is so wild and indisciplined that their teacher quits and is replaced by the militant Igor Hnidzo. He is very strict – but also very fair. His weakness though, is his interest in young women.

The Elementary School

1991

Accumulator 1 poster
7.0

In this movie, TV sets are full of life. If a person is in TV (e.g. because it was filmed on the street) it has a double that's right in the TV set. This double needs energy from the true character to survive. Each time, the real human watches TV, his Double will pull life energy from him. So there's a mysterious Death-serial. Many persons die in front of their TV set and nobody knows why. Olda, the main character, is one of the persons, that get more and more weak. He is near death, till Fisarek, the natural healer appears. He teaches Olda how he can resist this magic force and how he can fight it.

Accumulator 1

1994

Accumulator 1 poster
7.0

In this movie, TV sets are full of life. If a person is in TV (e.g. because it was filmed on the street) it has a double that's right in the TV set. This double needs energy from the true character to survive. Each time, the real human watches TV, his Double will pull life energy from him. So there's a mysterious Death-serial. Many persons die in front of their TV set and nobody knows why. Olda, the main character, is one of the persons, that get more and more weak. He is near death, till Fisarek, the natural healer appears. He teaches Olda how he can resist this magic force and how he can fight it.

Accumulator 1

1994

Little Girl Blue poster
5.1

Julie is a woman who seemingly has everything. A handsome husband, teenage daughter and a thriving, undemanding job as a translator and now even a new dream house ... But she also has a secret that is slowly changing her idyllic life...

Little Girl Blue

2007

Oil Gobblers poster
NR

A zoologist and a biochemist go out into an oilfield with a cameraman and filmmaker to observe and study the elusive oil gobblers.

Oil Gobblers

2026

Oil Gobblers poster
NR

A zoologist and a biochemist go out into an oilfield with a cameraman and filmmaker to observe and study the elusive oil gobblers.

Oil Gobblers

2026

Barefoot poster
5.7

Story of a small boy is forced to move out of Prague during World War 2 to a small village of Slavonice where he meets the rest of his family. He needs to make new friends and get used to a new life which is immensely different from what this city boy was used to.

Barefoot

2017

Barefoot poster
5.7

Story of a small boy is forced to move out of Prague during World War 2 to a small village of Slavonice where he meets the rest of his family. He needs to make new friends and get used to a new life which is immensely different from what this city boy was used to.

Barefoot

2017

Barefoot poster
5.7

Story of a small boy is forced to move out of Prague during World War 2 to a small village of Slavonice where he meets the rest of his family. He needs to make new friends and get used to a new life which is immensely different from what this city boy was used to.

Barefoot

2017

The Ride poster
6.9

Two guys buy a car and travel through the country until they meet a lonely girl on the road. They begin travelling together, having fun, enjoying life. But then there is another guy who has a better car and who is looking for this girl because he is her lover, her first one. What is going on inside the mind of this girl? Nobody knows, until the very end.

The Ride

1994

The Ride poster
6.9

Two guys buy a car and travel through the country until they meet a lonely girl on the road. They begin travelling together, having fun, enjoying life. But then there is another guy who has a better car and who is looking for this girl because he is her lover, her first one. What is going on inside the mind of this girl? Nobody knows, until the very end.

The Ride

1994

Bethlehem Light poster
4.5

A well-known writer now aged 75 is aware of his increasing age and the risk that his literary style will grow worn. His everyday existence is enlivened by characters from his stories, who tend to enter reality in unexpected ways, at various stages of completeness and with all kinds of strange demands.

Bethlehem Light

2022

Bethlehem Light poster
4.5

A well-known writer now aged 75 is aware of his increasing age and the risk that his literary style will grow worn. His everyday existence is enlivened by characters from his stories, who tend to enter reality in unexpected ways, at various stages of completeness and with all kinds of strange demands.

Bethlehem Light

2022

Daddy poster
7.0

This film is a documentary-style look at the life of the beloved Czech actor, Zdeněk Svěrák.

Daddy

2004

No artwork available
NR

The story of an everyday encounter between two pensioners. Jan Svěrák depicts their banal journey through a housing estate as an exciting cosmic adventure, using the means typical of American blockbusters. The gentle satire emphasises the weight of loneliness of old people in the dehumanised environment of a large housing estate.

Vesmírná Odysea II

1986

No artwork available
NR

The story of an everyday encounter between two pensioners. Jan Svěrák depicts their banal journey through a housing estate as an exciting cosmic adventure, using the means typical of American blockbusters. The gentle satire emphasises the weight of loneliness of old people in the dehumanised environment of a large housing estate.

Vesmírná Odysea II

1986