Jörn Donner, a Finnish author, director, and producer, was born into a Swedish-speaking family belonging to the Finnish upper class. As a student, he already demonstrated radical leftist ideas through his writings in magazines and newspapers. His literary career began at a remarkably young age, with his first novel published in 1951 when he was just 18 years old.
Donner's academic pursuits led him to graduate from the University of Helsinki in 1959. In 1961, he relocated to Sweden, where he was hired as a film critic by the daily newspaper "Dagens Nyheter". During his stay in Sweden, he also directed his first feature film, "A Sunday in September". After a six-year stint in Sweden, Donner returned to his home country in 1967.
Throughout his career, Donner has been associated with the film industry, both as a director and producer. His directorial debut in 1963 marked the beginning of a long and successful career in film production. In 1960, he founded his own production company, Jörn Donner Productions, which has produced numerous critically acclaimed films, including Ingmar Bergman's "Fanny and Alexander" in 1982. This achievement made him the first Finn to receive an Academy Award.
In addition to his work in film, Donner has also been an active politician. He has served as a Member of Parliament in Finland and as an European MP. Donner was a key figure in the presidential campaign of Social Democrat Ahtisaari in 1994, and subsequently, he was appointed Finnish consul to Los Angeles. However, he returned to Finland shortly after and did not return to politics following his failure to get elected in the 2003 Finnish parliamentary election.
In recent years, Donner has resided in the small town of Ekenäs, Finland, where he continues to work as an independent writer, columnist, and film producer.
