Jiří Svoboda

Jiří Svoboda is a prominent Czech film, television, and theatre director and screenwriter. Born in 1945 in Kladno, he graduated in drama directing from the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts (DAMU) in Prague. Although he built his widespread reputation primarily in cinema and television, he has regularly returned to the stage as an acclaimed guest director across Czech theatres. At Prague's Ungelt Theatre, he directed Jeffrey Hatcher's intimate two-hander Picasso starring Milan Kňažko and Vilma Cibulková, which enjoyed a celebrated run, while also staging productions at the Municipal Theatre Mladá Boleslav and the Vinohrady Theatre. In cinema, he left a lasting mark with compelling psychological dramas such as The Downfall of the Seclusion Berhof, Scalpel, Please, and the crime thriller Velvet Murderers. His extensive screen repertoire also includes major projects for Czech Television such as the historical drama Jan Hus and the miniseries Murderous Shadows.