Juraj Jakubisko

A master of magical realism and a legend of Slovak cinema, Juraj Jakubisko was born in 1938 in Kojšov, Czechoslovakia. He began his directorial career in the 1960s, creating a portfolio of work that leans heavily into the genres of fantasy and drama, his most famous films being "Birds, Orphans and Fools" (1969) and "Bathory" (2008), the latter of which won the award for Best Artistic Contribution at the Montreal World Film Festival. Jakubisko's authorial style is characterized by his unique blending of historical events with elements of folklore and mythology, often resulting in visually stunning and emotionally resonant storytelling. The director himself, Juraj Jakubisko, possesses an undeniable charm, his passion for his craft and his homeland evident in every frame of his films.