Antun Vrdoljak
Encyclopedia
Antun Vrdoljak is a Croatia
n screenwriter
, film director
and former actor and political appointee.
, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
(now Republic of Croatia). He studied acting at the Academy of Drama Arts at the University of Zagreb
. His acting debut was in 1957 film Nije bilo uzalud
. One year later he receive great deal of attention with his portrayal of simple country youth in H-8. In late 1960s, Vrdoljak gradually switched to film directing.
Following the events of the Croatian Spring
(1968–71), Vrdoljak became associated with Croatian nationalism. Authorities nevertheless allowed him to continue with his career. This included lavish adaptations of Croatian literary classics such as Kiklop (1982) and Glembajevi (1988).
When first democratic elections
were announced in Croatia, Vrdoljak was among 200 top intellectuals publicly endorsing the moderate Coalition of People's Accord
. By the end of campaign, he switched his support for the more hardline Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) and Franjo Tuđman with whom he developed a close friendship.
On 30 May 1990 the new democratically elected Croatian Parliament convened and Franjo Tuđman was elected President of Croatia. Vrdoljak became one of country's six vice-presidents. As such, he was entrusted with the supervision of 1990 European Championships in Athletics
in Split
, which was supposed to be the first big test for new government. There Vrdoljak reportedly displayed authoritarian tendencies, but also good organisational abilities, making a good impression on the international sports officials that would later help him become member of International Olympic Committee
.
(HRTV). There, Vrdoljak helped promote Tuđman and the HDZ, working very hard to prevent any criticism of government in the programme, while Croatian opposition parties were ignored. Vrdoljak garnered a degree of notoriety for saying television "must become a cathedral of the Croatian spirit".
Vrdoljak left HRTV in January 1995. His successor, Ivan Parać, charged Vrdoljak with corruption. To the opposition, Vrdoljak had been the embodiment of HDZ domination of the electronic media. Although Vrdoljak maintained his Parlament seat and other positions, he gradually retired from politics and Tuđman's inner circle.
, Vrdoljak decided to return to filmmaking. Vrdoljak made news in 2006 due to a quarrel and a physical altercation with his fellow filmmaker, Lordan Zafranović
.
directed by Nikola Tanhofer
. He received a great deal of praise for his two early films as a director and screenwriter, Kad čuješ zvona (When You Hear the Bells, 1969) and U gori raste zelen bor (A Green Pine Tree grows on the Mountain, 1971). Both films were based on the diaries of Croatian Partisan
leader Ivan Šibl.
Vrdoljak also worked on television
, with his 1972 mini-series Prosjaci i sinovi, based on the script (and later the novel) by Ivan Raos, later receiving a cult status. The series was shown only in 1984, due to Raos' status as a "Croatian nationalist".
He garnered further favorable attention for his adaptations of two literary classics in the 1980s, Kiklop (from the novel by Ranko Marinković
, 1982) and Glembajevi (from the play by Miroslav Krleža
, 1988). Both movies also were broadcasted in its longer TV versions. After securing funding from new government, he directed Duga mračna noć (The Long Dark Night), a mini-series about World War II
in Slavonia
.
, the Yugoslav equivalent of Oscars
, he won a Golden Arena for his role in Veljko Bulajić
's nuclear holocaust
film Rat (known in the USA as Atomic War Bride).
, who is married to Ivana Vrdoljak.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and former actor and political appointee.
Life
Antun Vrdoljak was born in ImotskiImotski
Imotski , is a small town situated on the northern side of Biokovo massif, Dalmatian hinterland, Croatia. The town was first mentioned as Imotski for the first time in the 10th century and it was held by the Turks from the fall of Bosnia until 1717 when it was captured by the Venetians. The town...
, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
(now Republic of Croatia). He studied acting at the Academy of Drama Arts at the University of Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
. His acting debut was in 1957 film Nije bilo uzalud
It Was Not in Vain
It Was Not in Vain is a 1957 Yugoslavian drama film directed by Nikola Tanhofer. It was entered into the 7th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Boris Buzančić* Mira Nikolić* Mia Oremović* Zlata Perlić* Zvonimir Rogoz* Vjera Simic...
. One year later he receive great deal of attention with his portrayal of simple country youth in H-8. In late 1960s, Vrdoljak gradually switched to film directing.
Following the events of the Croatian Spring
Croatian Spring
The Croatian Spring was a political movement from the early 1970s that called for greater rights for Croatia which was then part of Yugoslavia as well as democratic and economic reforms.-History:...
(1968–71), Vrdoljak became associated with Croatian nationalism. Authorities nevertheless allowed him to continue with his career. This included lavish adaptations of Croatian literary classics such as Kiklop (1982) and Glembajevi (1988).
When first democratic elections
Croatian parliamentary election, 1990
Parliamentary elections were held in Croatia on 22 April 1990, with a second round of voting on 6 May. The first free elections since multi-party politics were introduced, they resulted in a victory for the Croatian Democratic Union, which won 55 of the 80 seats...
were announced in Croatia, Vrdoljak was among 200 top intellectuals publicly endorsing the moderate Coalition of People's Accord
Coalition of People's Accord
Coalition of People's Accord was the bloc of mostly moderate nationalist and liberal parties formed on the eve of first multi-party elections in Croatia in 1990....
. By the end of campaign, he switched his support for the more hardline Croatian Democratic Union
Croatian Democratic Union
The Croatian Democratic Union is the main center-right political party in Croatia. It is the biggest and strongest individual Croatian party since independence of Croatia. The Christian democratic HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 to 2000 and, in partial coalition, from 2003...
(HDZ) and Franjo Tuđman with whom he developed a close friendship.
On 30 May 1990 the new democratically elected Croatian Parliament convened and Franjo Tuđman was elected President of Croatia. Vrdoljak became one of country's six vice-presidents. As such, he was entrusted with the supervision of 1990 European Championships in Athletics
1990 European Championships in Athletics
The 15th European Athletics Championships were held from 26 August to 2 September 1990 in Split, a city in Croatia .It was the last participation of East Germany ....
in Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, which was supposed to be the first big test for new government. There Vrdoljak reportedly displayed authoritarian tendencies, but also good organisational abilities, making a good impression on the international sports officials that would later help him become member of International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
.
Political career
In December 1990 new Croatian Constitution was adopted, ending the office of vice-president. A few months later Vrdoljak was appointed to the post of general manager of Croatian RadiotelevisionCroatian Radiotelevision
Croatian Radiotelevision is a Croatian public broadcasting company. It operates several radio and television channels, over a domestic transmitter network as well as satellite...
(HRTV). There, Vrdoljak helped promote Tuđman and the HDZ, working very hard to prevent any criticism of government in the programme, while Croatian opposition parties were ignored. Vrdoljak garnered a degree of notoriety for saying television "must become a cathedral of the Croatian spirit".
Vrdoljak left HRTV in January 1995. His successor, Ivan Parać, charged Vrdoljak with corruption. To the opposition, Vrdoljak had been the embodiment of HDZ domination of the electronic media. Although Vrdoljak maintained his Parlament seat and other positions, he gradually retired from politics and Tuđman's inner circle.
Return to filmmaking
After the HDZ lost power on 2000 electionsCroatian parliamentary election, 2000
Elections for the Chamber of Representatives of the Croatian Parliament were held on January 3, 2000. These were the first elections to be held after the expiration of a full term of the previous Chamber....
, Vrdoljak decided to return to filmmaking. Vrdoljak made news in 2006 due to a quarrel and a physical altercation with his fellow filmmaker, Lordan Zafranović
Lordan Zafranovic
Lordan Zafranović is currently "the most controversial Croatian cineaste".-First films:After receiving a degree in literature and visual arts at the University of Split, Zafranović enrolled at the famous FAMU in Prague where he studied film directing and where he eventually graduated in 1981...
.
Art work
He began his career as an actor and was praised for his role in now classic 1958 film H-8H-8 (film)
H-8 is a 1958 Yugoslavian film by Croatian director Nikola Tanhofer . The movie is based on a true story, in which the driver that caused a fatal 1957 bus-truck collision was never identified...
directed by Nikola Tanhofer
Nikola Tanhofer
Nikola Tanhofer was a Croatian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. His film It Was Not in Vain was entered into the 7th Berlin International Film Festival.-Filmography:* Plavi 9...
. He received a great deal of praise for his two early films as a director and screenwriter, Kad čuješ zvona (When You Hear the Bells, 1969) and U gori raste zelen bor (A Green Pine Tree grows on the Mountain, 1971). Both films were based on the diaries of Croatian Partisan
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
leader Ivan Šibl.
Vrdoljak also worked on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, with his 1972 mini-series Prosjaci i sinovi, based on the script (and later the novel) by Ivan Raos, later receiving a cult status. The series was shown only in 1984, due to Raos' status as a "Croatian nationalist".
He garnered further favorable attention for his adaptations of two literary classics in the 1980s, Kiklop (from the novel by Ranko Marinković
Ranko Marinkovic
Ranko Marinković was a Croatian author born in Komiža on the island of Vis ....
, 1982) and Glembajevi (from the play by Miroslav Krleža
Miroslav Krleža
Miroslav Krleža was a leading Croatian and Yugoslav writer and the dominant figure in cultural life of both Yugoslav states, the Kingdom and the Republic . He has often been proclaimed the greatest Croatian writer of the 20th century.-Biography:Miroslav Krleža was born in Zagreb, modern-day...
, 1988). Both movies also were broadcasted in its longer TV versions. After securing funding from new government, he directed Duga mračna noć (The Long Dark Night), a mini-series about World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
.
Awards
At the 1960 Pula Film FestivalPula Film Festival
The Pula Film Festival is the oldest Croatian film festival which is held annually in a Roman amphitheater known as the Pula arena since 1954. The festival is usually held in the summer, in July or August....
, the Yugoslav equivalent of Oscars
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, he won a Golden Arena for his role in Veljko Bulajić
Veljko Bulajic
Veljko Bulajić , today is a Croatian film director and actor of Montenegrin descent, most of his life working in Croatia...
's nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust
Nuclear holocaust refers to the possibility of the near complete annihilation of human civilization by nuclear warfare. Under such a scenario, all or most of the Earth is made uninhabitable by nuclear weapons in future world wars....
film Rat (known in the USA as Atomic War Bride).
Family
Vrdoljak was married twice and has four children. He is also the father-in-law of Croatian actor Goran VišnjićGoran Višnjic
Goran Višnjić is a Croatian actor who has appeared in American and British films and television productions. He is best known for his role as Dr. Luka Kovač in the hit television series ER...
, who is married to Ivana Vrdoljak.