František Čáp

Who was František Čáp?

František Čáp, also known as "Franz Cap" in Germany, was a Czech film director and screenwriter. He directed 32 films between 1939 and 1970.

In 1941 at the Venice Film Festival he won a commendation from the jury for his film Noční motýl. At the 1946 Cannes Film Festival he won the Grand Prize for his film Muži bez křídel.

As an already established professional, Čáp moved to Ljubljana in 1952, following an invitation by Branimir Tuma, director of Triglav Film. His first Yugoslav film, romantic comedy Vesna, had elements of Heimatfilm and pre-World War II Czech and Austrian melodrama, and proved highly successful both artistically and commercially, as did its sequel Ne čakaj na maj. In 1954 and 1955 at the Pula Film Festival he won the Big Golden Arena for Best Film.

In 1956 Čáp shot one of his best-known films, Die Geierwally, based on the novel by Wilhelmine von Hillern, in Germany. X-25 javlja, a World War II spy thriller set in Zagreb, saw extensive international theatrical release. However, after his poorly received comedy Naš avto, Čáp was unable to find work in Yugoslavia, and he turned to directing films and television series in Germany and Austria.