Vladimir Körner, born 12.10.1939 in Prostějov (Moravia). He graduated in dramaturgy at the Film Academy of Arts FAMU in Prague, Milan Kundera was his professor of literature. During his studies he was also employed at the Barrandov Film Studios at script-editor from 1962 on, as script-writer in 1971-1991. He is now a free-lance writer.

He published a total of fifteen novels and most of them were filmed, the most recent one being "The Angel of Mercy" which won the Main prize at Prix Europa in Berlin, October 1994, as the Television Production of the Year.

Primarily, however, he has written over thirty scripts for film and television productions, and his films won numerous international awards : The Valley of the Bees (1967 - directed by F. Vláčil ), Adelheid ( directed by F. Vláčil - Osaka 1970), The Legend of the Silver Spruce (Gijon 1974), The End of Berghof (Special Main Prize at Karlovy Vary IFF 1984), the Jury Prize and the Audience Prize at Cannes 1984), A Cuckoo in the Dark Forest ( a Czechoslovak-Polish coproduction - Grand Prix at the 3rd International Television Festival in Sapporo, 1986), The Path Across the Danube ( directed by M. Luther, coproduction with Slovak Television - The Monaco Red Cross prize at Monte Carlo 1990), and many others.

Some of his predominant themes are stories set in the final period of the Second World War, also the historical period of the Crusades, or 19th century subjects round the Prussian-Austrian War of 1866. The subject of The Source of Life/Lebensborn represents the culmination of his fateful subjects on Czech-German-Jewish attitudes in Central Europe.

Interview with Vladimír Körner >