Jan Troell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jan Troell
Troell at the 2013 Stockholm Film Festival
Born	Jan Gustaf Troell (1931-07-23) 23 July 1931 (age 94) Malmö, Sweden
Nationality	Swedish
Occupation	Film director
Years active	1966–present
Spouse(s)	Agneta Ulfsäter

Jan Gustaf Troell, born on July 23, 1931, is a famous Swedish filmmaker. He is a writer, director, and also a cinematographer, which means he operates the camera. His movies are known for being very realistic. They often show beautiful nature scenes. He is considered one of the best modern Swedish film directors. Other famous Swedish directors include Ingmar Bergman and Bo Widerberg.

Jan Troell's Early Life and Career

Jan Troell was born in Limhamn, a place near Malmö, Sweden. Before becoming a filmmaker, he worked as an elementary school teacher for several years. In the 1960s, he started making short films.

In 1965, he helped produce a film called 4x4. This film was shown at the 4th Moscow International Film Festival. He also worked as a cinematographer for director Bo Widerberg. Soon after, Troell directed his first full-length movie.

First Feature Films and Awards

His first feature film was Here's Your Life (Här har du ditt liv), released in 1966. This movie was about a working-class boy in Sweden in the early 1900s. It was based on a book by Eyvind Johnson. For this film, Jan Troell won the Guldbagge Award for Best Director. This is a very important film award in Sweden.

His next film, Who Saw Him Die? (Ole dole doff), came out in 1968. This movie won the Golden Bear award at the 18th Berlin International Film Festival. The Golden Bear is one of the top awards in the film world.

Epic Films About Emigration

In the 1970s, Jan Troell made two very important films. These were The Emigrants (Utvandrarna, 1971) and its follow-up, The New Land (Nybyggarna, 1972).

These movies tell an epic story about Swedish farmers. They leave their difficult lives in Sweden to move to the United States in the 1800s. These films were based on famous books by Vilhelm Moberg. A well-known actor, Max von Sydow, played a main role in these movies. The Emigrants was even nominated for several Academy Awards in the United States.

Later Works and Documentaries

After a short time working in Hollywood, Jan Troell returned to Sweden. In 1982, he made Flight of the Eagle (Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd). This film tells the story of Salomon August Andrée's difficult Arctic balloon trip in 1897. The Flight of the Eagle was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Controversial and Award-Winning Films

In 1991, Troell released Il Capitano: A Swedish Requiem (Il Capitano). This film was based on a real-life event. It focused on the mind games between a criminal and his girlfriend. For this movie, he won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival. It also won the award for Best Film at the 27th Guldbagge Awards.

Making Documentaries

Jan Troell has also made many documentary films. A documentary is a movie that tells a true story or gives information about a topic. For example, Land of Dreams (Sagolandet, 1988) explored how modern society can feel disconnected from nature.

Another documentary, A Frozen Dream (En frusen dröm, 1997), revisited the story of Andrée's polar expedition. Troell has shared that some of his favorite films include Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Modern Times.

Recent Films and Lifetime Achievement

Even though he is in his 90s, Jan Troell continues to make films. His recent works include As White as in Snow (Så vit som en snö, 2001). This film is about the life of a Swedish aviator named Elsa Andersson.

He also made a documentary called Presence (Närvarande, 2003). In 2008, he directed Everlasting Moments (Maria Larssons eviga ögonblick). This film is based on the life of Maria Larsson, a photographer from the 1900s.

His most recent film is The Last Sentence (Dom över död man). This movie is about the Swedish writer Torgny Segerstedt. The Last Sentence was first shown in November 2012 at the Stockholm International Film Festival. At the same festival, Jan Troell received a special Lifetime Achievement Award for his amazing work in film.

Jan Troell's Filmography

Fiction Feature Films

Documentary Feature Films

Short Films

Cinematography Only

See also

In Spanish: Jan Troell para niños