Antun Vrdoljak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antun Vrdoljak
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 5 June 1931 Imotski, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (present-day Croatia)
|
| Education | Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Alma mater | University of Zagreb |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1956–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Branka Vrdoljak
(m. 1966) |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Goran Višnjić (son-in-law) Vanna (daughter-in-law) |
| President of the Croatian Olympic Committee | |
| In office 1991–2000 |
|
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Zdravko Hebel |
Antun Vrdoljak (born 5 June 1931) is a well-known Croatian film actor and director. He also served as a sports leader and was in charge of Croatian Radiotelevision during a time of big changes in Croatia. From the 1960s to the early 1990s, he was mostly known for his work in films. In the early 1990s, he became involved in politics. He joined the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), a major political party, and took on several important roles. He was the director general of Croatian Radiotelevision from 1991 to 1995. He also served as the president of the Croatian Olympic Committee from 1991 to 2000.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Antun Vrdoljak was born in Imotski, a town in Croatia. He studied acting at the Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb in Zagreb. His first acting role was in a 1957 film called It Was Not in Vain. In 1958, he appeared in the highly praised film H-8.
In the late 1960s, Vrdoljak started directing films more often. During a period known as the Croatian Spring (1968–1971), when people in Croatia wanted more freedom and rights, Vrdoljak became known for his strong feelings about Croatian identity. Even so, he was allowed to continue making films. He directed big movie versions of famous Croatian books, like Cyclops (1982) and The Glembays (1988).
Entering Politics
When the first democratic elections were held in Croatia in 1990, Vrdoljak first supported a group of moderate thinkers. However, he later decided to support the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and its leader, Franjo Tuđman. Vrdoljak and Tuđman became close friends. On May 30, 1990, a new government was formed, and Franjo Tuđman became the President of Croatia. Vrdoljak was chosen as one of the country's six vice-presidents. In this role, he helped oversee the 1990 European Athletics Championships in Split.
Leading Croatian Radiotelevision
In December 1990, Croatia adopted a new constitution, which ended the position of vice-president. A few months later, Vrdoljak was appointed as the general manager of Croatian Radiotelevision (HRTV). During his time there, he worked to promote President Tuđman and the HDZ party. He tried to prevent any criticism of the government from being shown on TV, and opposition parties were often ignored. Vrdoljak famously said that television "must become a cathedral of the Croatian spirit," meaning it should be a strong symbol of Croatian culture and identity.
On September 16, 1991, more than 300 employees at the HRT building were told their work passes were no longer valid. This was said to be for "security reasons." Many of those affected were of Serbian background or had family members in the Yugoslav Army, or they did not publicly support the HDZ.
A journalist named Sandra Bašić-Hrvatin described how Croatian television, under Vrdoljak, aimed to be a "cathedral of the Croatian spirit." She noted that the TV showed many programs focused on Croatian culture and history, like Good Morning Croatia and Croatian Language.
After the HDZ party lost power in 2000, Vrdoljak decided to step back from politics and focus on filmmaking again.
Film and TV Work
Vrdoljak started his career as an actor and was highly praised for his role in the 1958 film H-8. He also received good reviews for his early films as a director and writer, Kad čuješ zvona (1969) and U gori raste zelen bor (1971). Both films were based on the writings of a Croatian Partisan leader named Ivan Šibl. When You Hear the Bells won a Silver Prize at the 6th Moscow International Film Festival.
Vrdoljak also worked on television. His 1972 mini-series Prosjaci i sinovi became very popular later on. This series was based on a story by Ivan Raos. It was not shown until 1984 because Raos was seen as a "Croatian nationalist" at the time. Vrdoljak also gained attention for his adaptations of Kiklop (1982) and The Glembays (1988), which were both shown as longer TV versions. After getting money from the new government, he directed Duga mračna noć, a mini-series about World War II in Slavonia.
In 2019, he directed a movie called General, which was funded by the state. The movie was about the life of Ante Gotovina, a Croatian general. The film showed Serbian soldiers in a negative light, while Croatian soldiers were shown as respectful. Critics did not like General very much, and it received mostly negative reviews. It opened the 2019 Pula Film Festival but did not win any major awards.
Awards and Recognition
In 1960, at the Pula Film Festival, which was like the Oscars in Yugoslavia, Antun Vrdoljak won a Golden Arena award. He received this award for his acting role in Veljko Bulajić's film Atomic War Bride.
Personal Life
Antun Vrdoljak has been married twice. He has one child from his first marriage. He later remarried and has three more children with his second wife. His daughter, Ivana, is an artist known as Eva Višnjić/Eva Visnjic, and she is married to the actor Goran Višnjić.
Filmography
- The Road a Year Long (1958)
- Atomic War Bride (1960)
- Love and Some ... Words (1969)
- When You Hear the Bells (1969)
- The Pine Tree in the Mountain (1971)
- Deps (1974)
- Snowstorm (1977)
- The Return (1979)
- Cyclops (1982)
- Od petka do petka (1985)
- The Glembays (1988)
- Karneval, anđeo i prah (1990)
- Long Dark Night (2004)
- General (2019)
