Zdeněk Svěrák
Also Known As: Zdenek Sverák
Biography: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Zdeněk Svěrák (born 28 March 1936 in Prague) is a Czech actor, humorist and scriptwriter. He is one of the most popular Czech cultural personalities. In 1989, he was a member of the jury at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1958, he graduated in Czech language and literature at the Faculty of Education of Charles University in Prague. He has worked in a wide variety of capacities. His work contains more than 300 musical texts, plays and more than ten movies. Among his film scripts are Kolya (Czech: Kolja, Academy Award winning film) and The Elementary School (Czech: Obecná Škola, nomination for Academy Award), both directed by his son Jan Svěrák. With his close friend Ladislav Smoljak, he created the fictional personality (universal genius, inventor, sportsman, criminalist, poet, writer and philosopher) Jára Cimrman who won the voting for The Greatest Czech in 2005 (only the fact that Cimrman is fictional prevented him from actually winning). Zdeněk Svěrák also founded a charity organization Paraple (in English, "Umbrella") which focuses on helping paralyzed individuals.
Department: Writing
Place of Birth: Prague, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]
Adult: No
Birthday: March 28, 1936
Age: 89 years old
Gender: Male
Popularity:
Known For:
Kolya
Overview: 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.
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1996-05-15
Popularity:
Empties
Overview: 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.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2007-03-08
Popularity:
My Sweet Little Village
Overview: The movie's main storyline follows the life of Otík, a young man, in a tight-knit village community. The sweet-tempered Otík works as an assistant truck driver with Mr. Pávek, his older colleague and practical-minded neighbor. Pávek's family takes care of Otík, whose parents are dead. However, the two coworkers become at odds over Otík's inability to perform even the simplest tasks. Pávek demands that Otík be transferred to assist another driver, who happens to be a choleric and suspicious man named Turek (Turk in Czech). Rather than work with Turek, Otík decides to accept an offer of employment in Prague, but finds he does not fit in to the city life. After discovering that the transfer of Otík to Prague was a trick by a crooked politician to get a deal on Otík's large inherited house, Pávek agrees to give Otík a second chance and retrieves him from the city to resume their work together.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1985-08-01
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Pocta V+W
Overview:
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2005-02-05
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Ball Lightning
Overview: A comedy about exchange of 12 apartments , which, its organizer, lawyer Radosta, rightly called Action Ball Lightning. To prepare, organize and execute the exchange of twelve apartments is a work worthy champions. Radosta, who was excellently played by Rudolf Hrušínský, solved all sudden difficulties and complications on the fly and with grace. To be sure that the on the D-day everything goes well he prepares a little rehearsal, which reveals many minor issues caused for example by wedding ordered to inappropriate term or hesitation of some participants. Last but not least a night exercise announced by drunk psychologist Knotků, creates a lot of confusion that nearly sabotaged the whole operation.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1979-08-10
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The Three Veterans
Overview: It is a story of three veterans released from the army. During one night spent camping in the country they one by one wake up and meet three elvish brothers. Each of the veterans is given a magic item - one gets magic harp that provides him with servants by wish, other one endless pouch of gold and the last one owns magic hat that can create all the staff excluding money and people.
Genres: Family Fantasy Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1984-07-01
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Accumulator 1
Overview: 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.
Genres: Comedy Fantasy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1994-03-24
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Moderní byt
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1971-01-01
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Inzerát
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1984-04-22
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Calamity
Overview: Funny banter about love, sex, social status, and other ideals, while a new railway employee is trained and sent on his first run as driver.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1982-01-29
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Dissolved and Effused
Overview: A police inspector and inexperienced trainee search for a mysteriously disappeared manufacturer of ointments for hair growth.
Genres: Comedy Crime
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1985-01-01
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Investigation of the Loss of a Class Book
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1998-12-31
Popularity:
Lijavec
Overview: When late in life was presenting Cimrman his artistic activity, came arresting knowledge: none of the works he had signed, not recognition. And so he decided to retreat to the anonymity of the author and become folklore. Clairvoyantly recognized that the modern era marked for extinction of folk creativity in areas such as the national song, story, legend, proverb or weather lore. The only thing from the oral folklore of die and stay alive is an anecdote. And she plays a significant role in his play Lijavec.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1997-01-01
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An Uncertain Season
Overview: The small group of actors have to face many problems while preparing a new performance.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1988-04-01
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Marecek, Pass Me the Pen!
Overview: This comedy is about one average family. The father works as master in the factory and his son is studying on high school. One day father must start to visit the evening school. It's the same school as his son visiting. The lives both students are connecting together. The son must teach the math and physics his own father. The father getting to know, that the life of the students is not simple as he supposed.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1976-10-08
Popularity:
Secluded, Near Woods
Overview: The Lavicka's, a Czech family from the city, rents a house in the country with the option to buy. However, old Mr Komarek seems reluctant to sell the house as they agreed.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1976-09-10
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The Hit
Overview:
Genres: Music Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1981-03-13
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Africa
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2002-10-05
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Basically Normal
Overview: The film follows Karel Novák, who is appointed as the head of a research institute's new department. His ambitious wife, Eva, sees this as an opportunity for social advancement. She quits her job, turns their apartment into a hair salon, and begins networking with influential people. However, her efforts entangle Karel in a web of shady business dealings, including a dubious connection with a foreign company, Djungarden. As misunderstandings and comedic mishaps unfold, Karel finds himself in trouble with the police, while Eva struggles to maintain control over their chaotic rise in society.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1982-03-12
Popularity:
Chain
Overview: Carefree young nurse Marta learns upon her husband's death that he was involved in all manner of criminal activity, which puts her life in danger.
Genres: Thriller Crime
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1981-11-20
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Hearty Greetings from the Globe
Overview: Two aliens stir up trouble on Earth in order to study humans. Misunderstandings ensue.
Genres: Comedy Science Fiction
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1983-07-01
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Czech Heaven
Overview:
Genres: Comedy Fantasy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2008-10-28
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Pub in the Glade
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1997-01-01
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Dumb Bobes, or Czech Tarzan
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1997-01-01
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Long, Broad and Nearsight
Overview: A fairy tale that was not a success with children.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2007-05-28
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The Conquest of the North Pole
Overview: Cimrman's play about Czech expedition to north pole.
Genres: Comedy TV Movie
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1985-10-17
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The Stand In
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1997-11-12
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The Nude
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1998-12-27
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Cimrman in the World of Music
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2006-12-31
Popularity:
Jára Cimrman Lying, Sleeping
Overview: Czechoslovak comedy film directed by Ladislav Smoljak, about the fictional national hero Jára Cimrman (universal genius, inventor, sportsman, criminalist, poet, writer and philosopher).
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1983-10-01
Popularity:
Joachim, Put It in the Machine
Overview: A sincere provincial young man, Frantisek Koudelka leaves to work in Prague. For the trip he buys a computer made horoscope with biorhythms charts, marked according to his date of birth, there are trappy, precarious, unsuccessful and even critical days and few successful days. The clumsy luckless person Frantisek has finally a guidance for his life.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1974-08-30
Popularity:
Larks on a String
Overview: In post-WWII Communist Czechoslovakia, several characters considered bourgeois are sentenced to work in a junkyard for rehabilitation. Among them is a young man who pines for a female convict.
Genres: Drama Romance Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1990-02-01
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40 let Divadla Járy Cimrmana aneb Ze hry do hry
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2007-10-24
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Chinaski: Každej ví kulový
Overview: Documentary about the Czech band Chinaski.
Genres: Documentary Music
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2022-05-26
Popularity:
What's Up Doc?
Overview:
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1985-07-01
Popularity:
Kooky
Overview: 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.
Genres: Family Adventure Animation
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2010-05-19
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The Elementary School
Overview: 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.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1991-08-08
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Lucie and the Miracles
Overview: The harsh reality of a home for abandoned children blends with episodes of youthful fantasy and slapstick comedy in this story of an orphan girl. Lucy's fondest wish is to find new parents and leave an orphanage. She befriends a man who can create doors from paint. He gives her a stuffed dog that magically comes alive when placed on the ground, and he and his wife end up adopting the little girl. After finding parents of her own, Lucy sets out through fantasy to find parents for her orphan friends. All of the people Lucy meet during her remarkable make believe wanderings end up taking children home.
Genres: Fantasy Comedy Family
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1971-06-18
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Perspektiva Ivana Mládka
Overview:
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2023-03-22
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Léta s Jaromírem Hanzlíkem
Overview:
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2023-02-11
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Three Brothers
Overview: 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.
Genres: Family Comedy Fantasy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2014-08-14
Popularity:
Daddy
Overview: This film is a documentary-style look at the life of the beloved Czech actor, Zdeněk Svěrák.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2004-09-30
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The Presence of Arnošt Lustig
Overview: "A man is immortal as long as he lives in the memory of others,” said well-known Czech writer Arnošt Lustig with a wry smile. In December 2006 when her father turned 80, filmmaker Eva Lustigová began to see just how closely his words applied to himself personally. Her method involved recording their meetings and personal interviews together, until Lustig’s death in February 2011. Employing his notorious sense of humor, the film presents the world-renowned author as he recalls a carefree childhood cut short by the Nazi occupation, the horror of life in a concentration camp, the beginnings of his writing career, living in Israel and the USA, and his lifelong friendship with Ota Pavel. Geneva-based Eva Lustigová’s documentary is not a traditional portrait compilation of a famous writer that chronologically investigates his life, but rather a loosely assembled, lively movie about a person with an eternal love for life as it is.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2012-01-01
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Silvestr 79 aneb Hrajeme si jako děti
Overview:
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1979-12-31
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Silvestr 71
Overview:
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1971-12-31
Popularity:
Kouzelný kopec
Overview: Documentary about Barrandov studios.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2023-09-09
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As Good as Poison
Overview:
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1986-07-01
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Run, Waiter, Run!
Overview: A comedy concerning a down on his luck bookshop owner with a penchant for women who decides to make some money by pretending to be a waiter and collecting cash from unsuspecting diners.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1981-01-09
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Bridal Tour to Jilji
Overview: A scientist meets a nice girl and they start dating. He decides the only way to find out for sure if she’s the one is to take a long trip with her, but things don’t go quite as he’d hoped.
Genres: Comedy Romance TV Movie
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1984-12-29
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Cimrmani zblízka
Overview:
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2024-02-21
Popularity:
The Horns
Overview: A humorous modern fairy tale for adults about the life of devils. This is the story of a young couple in love: two devils named Artur and Blanka. Happiness for the young devil couple is disturbed and eventually destroyed by Artur's longing to keep up with others.
Genres: Animation
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1986-01-01
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Like Rabbits
Overview: A story of two boys who during the summer at a recreation area become best friends despite being enemies at first.
Genres: Family
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1982-09-24
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How Poets Are Losing Their Illusions
Overview: A story about a young medical school student and his adventures.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1985-04-01
Popularity:
Anatomie gagu
Overview:
Genres: Comedy Documentary
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2008-10-27
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Brontosaurus
Overview: Tomás lives in a very small Czech town and is a nature lover and a birdwatcher. He struggles to keep the forests he loves clean and constantly fights his "archenemy" whose sister and Tomás's classmate is secretly in love with him.
Genres: Family
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1980-08-22
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Stopa vede do Liptákova
Overview:
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1969-01-01
Popularity:
Barefoot
Overview: 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.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2017-08-17
Popularity:
Psaní do nebe
Overview:
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2017-10-04
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Ruffiano and Sweeteeth
Overview:
Genres: Family Fantasy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1997-09-11
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Crime in the Night Club
Overview: A black comedy set in a Prague cabaret.
Genres: Music Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1968-12-20
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You Are a Widow, Sir
Overview: After a soldier cuts off the arm of king's cousin, king decides to deactivate the army. Of course, generals don't like it at all and they try to kill the king. The assassin should be artificial body in the shape of actress Evelina Keleti and with brain of psychotic serial killer Fany Stubová. They also manage to kill king's astrologer Stuart Hampl, who warns the king. Accidentally, Hampl's brain is implanted into assassin's body, actress Keleti is killed and chaos begins.
Genres: Science Fiction Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1971-01-15
Popularity:
The Snowdrop Festival
Overview: This movie is based on texts of Bohumil Hrabal, world-known Czech prosaic. It's a story (in a form of a mosaic of short episodes and pictures) about the sadness and happiness of inhabitants of Kersko (Kersko is a small woody area full of cottages and roods). These people are both simple and sensitive, they have their own pleasures (e.g. Leli is a collector of cheap, but inutile things) and the greatest delight of all of them is a hunting. Crude poetics of amateur hunting is screened by dreamy pictures of this area. Menzel mixes sentimental lyricism and rough (but not vulgar!) humor and the outcome is the never-ending landscape of continuous life in the proximate nearness of nature. The performances of actors are brilliant. Both Rudolf Hrusinsky as a Franz and Jaromír Hanzlik as a Leli have nonrecurring charm bottomed on a pain and inebriation. Only the music is not perfect: Jiri Sust usually assembled his film music from his older works and in this movie there is many quotations.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1984-01-01
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30 Maidens and Pythagoras
Overview: A musical starring Jiří Menzel (whose part is sung by Achilles Michailidis) as a math and physics teacher employing innovative teaching methods.
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1977-09-16
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Operky
Overview:
Genres: Music
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2016-03-18
Popularity:
Narostl mu hřebínek
Overview:
Genres: Animation Comedy TV Movie
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1987-01-01
Popularity:
Bethlehem Light
Overview: 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.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2022-03-10
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Cimrmani
Overview:
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1997-12-27
Popularity:
Tvrdý chleba
Overview:
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 1990-01-01
Popularity:
Já a moji synové...
Overview:
Genres: Comedy Music
Original Language: cs
Release Date: 2002-04-27
Popularity: