Obecná škola

The first opus whose making brought together a future Oscar-winning duo of filmmakers: the scriptwriter here was Zdeněk Svěrák, and the film was directed by his talented son, Jan Svěrák. While this time they had to content themselves with their work´s being shortlisted as a nominee for Oscar, more than a few experts in their home country have actually valued it higher than Kolya, the tandem´s subsequent Oscar-winning venture. One of the best European films of the 1990s, this was likewise a golden opportunity offered to, and seized by, actor Jan Tříska, a close friend of President Václav Havel, whose creation here of a fearless schoolteacher marked his comeback to Czech film from American exile.

Year Of Production: 1991
Running time: 97 minutes
Produced by: Film Studios Barrandov
Genre: comedy
Language Versions: Czech with English subtitles
Directed By: Jan Svěrák
Screenplay: Zdeněk Svěrák
Awards and nominations:
1991 Pilsen Film Festival, Czech Republic ? Golden Kingfisher; 1992 Academy Awards ? nominated for Best Foreign Language Film; 1994 Fantasporto, Portugal ? Director´s Week Award ? Special Mention