Career Highlights: Fanny & Alexander, Män kan inte våldtas, Anna
First Major Screen Credit: En Söndag i September (1963)
Biography
Director/writer Jörn Donner is a prominent figure in Finnish cinema best known for his film A Sunday in September (1963). He is a versatile director who has made films in almost every major genre including documentaries. Most of his dramas where made in Sweden, while his comedies were made at home in Finland. The son of Swedish-speaking parents, the Helsinki-born Donner began his writing career in his teens and by age 18 had published a collection of short stories. He then went on to Helsinki University to major in political science and Swedish literature. While in school he began writing film criticism for local newspapers. Though he had directed several short films during the '50s he was most renowned for his essays on film, his poetry, journalism, and fiction. He served as a civilian hospital orderly in 1959 (instead of military service as he was a conscientious objector). After publishing reports on Germany and central Europe, he moved to Stockholm to become a critic for a major newspaper. In 1963, he directed his first feature film, A Sunday in September. The film won a special prize at the Venice Film Festival for "Best Work by a First Time Director." He later married his leading actress Harriet Andersson. In addition to a fruitful career as a director and writer, Donner has also served as a member of the Finnish parliament. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Jörn Johan Donner (born 5 February 1933 in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish writer, film director, actor, producer, politician, member of the Donner family and founder of Finnish Film Archive. He has been associated with several different political parties, and has at different times been a member both of the Finnish parliament and the European Parliament. As of 2007[update] he was again a member of the Finnish parliament for a short while, after Eva Biaudet resigned to take a position at the OSCE. Jörn Donner has also for long periods lived and worked in Sweden, and has, among other things, served as director of the Swedish Film Institute. His novel Far och son (Father and Son) won him the Finlandia Prize in 1985.