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 (born June 8, 1961) is a talented British-Bosnian film director, screenwriter, and author. He is famous for his movies like Beautiful People (1999) and the World War II thriller Chosen (2016).
Contents
Early Life and Creative Beginnings
Growing Up in Zenica
Jasmin Dizdar was born on June 8, 1961, in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He grew up there, showing an early interest in writing. His primary school literature teacher encouraged him a lot. Jasmin sent his short story, "History Hour," to a local competition. He won an award for the best short story.
Teenage Years and Theatre
As a teenager, Jasmin also enjoyed acting. He performed in a Bosnian play called Hanka. This play was based on a novel by Isak Samokovlija. It was even made into a film in 1955. The play first opened in Zenica's Old National Theatre.
Discovering Film Making
Jasmin joined a local film club when he was young. There, he learned to write, edit, and direct short films. He made documentaries, dramas, and experimental movies. He also became very interested in film theory, especially Russian ideas about film structure. His last Bosnian film, Butterfly Dance, featured actors from Zenica's National Theatre. This film helped him get into the famous Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in the Czech Republic.
Filmmaking Career and Achievements
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Studying Film in Prague
Jasmin Dizdar studied film directing at FAMU in Prague. He often used humor in his movies. He liked to cast regular people, Czech actors, and filmmakers. These were often people who were not favored by the communist regime at the time.
Writing About Miloš Forman
During his film studies, Jasmin wrote about director Miloš Forman. Forman was also a FAMU graduate but was banned by the state. Jasmin became friends with Czech cinematographer Miroslav Ondricek and film critic Eva Zaoralova. This friendship led to Jasmin publishing his book about Forman, called Audition for a Director.
Moving to the United Kingdom
After finishing university with top honors, Jasmin 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 has been a UK citizen since 1993.
Award-Winning Film: Beautiful People
In 1999, Jasmin released his feature film Beautiful People. 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, "Gold Gryphon," at the Saint-Petersburg International Festival of Festivals. The film received many other international awards.
Jasmin became the second Bosnian filmmaker to win a big award at the Cannes Film Festival. The first was Emir Kustkurica in 1985. Jasmin was also the first Bosnian filmmaker from Zenica to achieve this. Over 30 countries bought the rights to Beautiful People.
Later Works: Les Européens and Chosen
After Beautiful People, Jasmin Dizdar wrote and directed a part of the French film Les Européens (2006). His segment talked about refugees trying to enter Europe. It showed an African refugee hiding in a plane's landing gear. When the plane landed, he fell out over Rome. He landed on a car, and the car's owner believed he was a gift from God.
Jasmin's next feature film was Chosen (2016). This drama was set during the Second World War. It tells the story of a young lawyer who cleverly fights the Nazis. He tries to save thousands of lives. Famous actor Harvey Keitel plays the lawyer in present-day New York.
Personal Life and Family
Family History
As a teenager, Jasmin Dizdar learned a sad family secret. His grandparents on his father's side were killed during the Second World War. After the war, his father grew up in an orphanage. The orphanage changed his father's last name from Dizdar to Dizdarević. After living with the name Dizdarević for thirty years, Jasmin's father changed it back to Dizdar.
Life in London
Jasmin Dizdar has lived in London since 1989. He has a daughter who is also involved in the arts. She is 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
