Prague, April 9 (CTK) – Czech film director Juraj Herz, who gained fame with his films Cremator and Oil Lamps and was decorated with the Czech Lion award for life-long work, died at the age of 83 last night, Slovak actor Andrej Hryc has written on social networks.
Herz shot over 25 feature films, many of which were awarded at prestigious film festivals.
Eight years ago, he received the Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to the world cinematography at the film festival in Karlovy Vary, West Bohemia.
One year before, he received the Czech Lion award for his life-long work.
Juraj Herz was born in Kezmarok, northern Slovakia, on September 4, 1934. As he was of Jewish origin, he was sent to a concentration camp during World War Two.
In the 1980s, the situation in the Ravensbruck camp inspired him to make the film Caught by the Night.
He was always saying that he liked horror and that he played with it in his films.
Herz also worked as an actor and director in the Prague Semafor theatre between 1960 and 1961.
His 1976 film Day for My Love competed at the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.
In 2010, he shot his last film, Habermann.
