Jan S. Kolár

Jan Stanislav Kolár (1896, Prague – 1973, Prague) was already interested in film while studying law. He started directing in 1917, making a number of documentaries in addition to 13 features for which he wrote the screenplays and generally took a starring role. He soon began working with Karel Lamač and future star Anny Ondra (Anny Ondráková). Despite specializing in adventures and dramas, he co-directed Ondra’s modest debut in the comedy The Lady with the Small Foot (1919). His films include The Song of Gold (1920), The Poisoned Light (1921), and The Arrival from the Darkness (1921). His literary adaptations include the psychological novel The Dead Are Living (1922), The Cross at the Stream (1921), and a film addressing social issues, Řina (1926). At the end of the silent era he directed the historical epic St. Wenceslas (1929) to mark the saint’s millennium. This was Kolár’s last film. He later took a number of small roles and became a Czech film archivist.

48. MFF Karlovy Vary