Jasmin Dizdar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jasmin Dizdar
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Dizdar in 2015
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| Born | 8 June 1961 |
| Alma mater | Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague |
| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, author |
Jasmin Dizdar is a British-Bosnian filmmaker and writer. He is famous for directing movies like Beautiful People (1999) and Chosen (2016). He was born on June 8, 1961.
Contents
Early Life and Creative Beginnings
Jasmin Dizdar grew up in Zenica, a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. When he was in primary school, his literature teacher encouraged him to write. He sent a short story called "History Hour" to a competition and won an award.
Teenage Years and Theatre
As a teenager, Dizdar acted in a Bosnian play called Hanka. This play was based on a book by Isak Samokovlija. It was also made into a movie in 1955. The play first opened in Zenica's Old National Theatre.
Discovering Film Making
Dizdar joined a local film club when he was young. There, he wrote, edited, and directed short films. These included documentaries, dramas, and experimental movies. He also became very interested in how films are made and understood. His last film in Bosnia, Butterfly Dance, helped him get into a famous film school. This school was the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in the Czech Republic.
Filmmaking Career Highlights
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Dizdar studied film directing at the FAMU in Prague. His movies often used funny, satirical humor. He sometimes cast regular people, or actors and filmmakers who were not popular with the government at the time.
Writing About Film Directors
While studying film, Dizdar wrote about director Miloš Forman. Forman was also a FAMU graduate but was not allowed to work by the government. Dizdar became friends with Czech filmmaker Miroslav Ondricek and film critic Eva Zaoralova. This friendship led to Dizdar publishing a book about Forman called Audition for a Director.
Moving to the United Kingdom
After finishing university with top honors, Dizdar spent some time in France. He then moved to the United Kingdom in 1989. There, he wrote several screenplays for BBC Television. He also wrote a radio play for BBC Radio 4. He became a UK citizen in 1993.
Award-Winning Film: Beautiful People
In 1999, Dizdar's feature film Beautiful People was released. This movie won a major award at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. It won for best film in the "Un Certain Regard" category. It also won an audience award in Saint-Petersburg and many other international awards. Dizdar was the second Bosnian filmmaker to win a big award at Cannes. He was the first Bosnian filmmaker from Zenica to do so. Over 30 countries bought the rights to show Beautiful People.
Exploring Social Topics in Film
After Beautiful People, Dizdar directed a part of the French film Les Européens (2006). His part of the film talked about refugees trying to enter Europe. It showed an African refugee who tried to hide in a plane's landing gear. When the plane landed, he fell out and landed on a car. The woman who owned the car thought he was a gift from God.
Second World War Drama: Chosen
Dizdar's next feature film was Chosen (2016). This movie starred famous actors like Harvey Keitel. It was a drama set during the Second World War. The story is about a young lawyer who tricks the Nazis to save many lives. Harvey Keitel plays the lawyer in the present day.
Personal Life and Family
When Dizdar was a teenager, he learned that his grandparents were killed by Nazis during the Second World War. After the war, his father's original family name, Dizdar, was changed to Dizdarević by an orphanage. After living with the name Dizdarević for thirty years, Jasmin Dizdar changed it back to his grandfather’s original name, Dizdar.
Jasmin Dizdar lives in London. His daughter is also a filmmaker and a visual artist.
Filmography
- Butterfly Dance (1984)
- Mr Slave (1985)
- Crucifixion (1986)
- Heroes Will Be Heroes (1987)
- After Silence (1988)
- Our Sweet Homeland (1989)
- Beautiful People (1999)
- Les Europeens (2006)
- Chosen (2016)
Other Works
- Horseman (BBC, 1992) - television drama
- Intimate Tragedy (BBC, 1994) - radio drama
- Miloš Forman Audition for a Director
