Jiří Krejčík, a renowned Czech film director and screenwriter, hails from Prague. After completing his studies, he worked in Barrandov studios as a statista during World War II, which led him to become involved in the film industry. He began by creating short and commercial films, and collaborated with artist Jiří Trnka on the animated film DÁREK.
Krejčík's first feature-length film was TÝDEN V TICHÉM DOMĚ, released in 1947, based on the stories of Jan Neruda. This was followed by VES V POHRANIČÍ, a film about the settlement of the Czech border region after World War II. However, his work was influenced by the ideology of the time in the 1950s, particularly in his films NAD NÁMI SVÍTÁ and FRONA.
In 1958, Krejčík co-directed the short film Glorie for the anthology film O VĚCECH NADPŘIROZENÝCH, adapting short stories by Karel Čapek. He was awarded for this work at the Locarno International Film Festival in 1959.
The 1960s marked a significant period in Krejčík's career, with the release of films such as VYŠŠÍ PRINCIP, which explored the tragic period of the Heydrichiáda, and won numerous awards, including the discovery of actress Jana Brejchová. Other notable works include the short film ČINTAMANI A PODVODNÍK and the satirical comedy SVATBA JAKO ŘEMEN.
In 1967, Krejčík adapted Sean O'Casey's play Bedtime Story, titled PENSION PRO SVOBODNÉ PÁNY. His next major success came in 1979 with the biographical film BOŽSKÁ EMA, about the famous opera singer Emě Destinnové.
Krejčík's final film was PRODAVAČ HUMORU, a satirical look at the socialist entertainment industry, released in 1984. Since then, he has dedicated himself to television work. As an actor, Krejčík has appeared on screen several times, with notable roles including Karel in Menzel's SLAVNOSTÍ SNĚŽENEK and Professor Stárek in Jan Hřebejka's retro-comedy PELÍŠKY.
