A former elementary school teacher who began collaborating on films with director Bo Widerberg in the early 1960s, Troell made his own feature directing debut in 1965 and went on to become one of his country's leading filmmakers. His best-known work outside Sweden is the sweeping diptych "The Emigrants" (1972), which earned Troell a Best Director Oscar nomination, and "The New Land" (1973), based on novels by Vilhelm Moberg and starring Liv Ullman and Max Von Sydow. He made two US films, the disappointing "Zandy's Bride" (1973) and "Hurricane" (1979). Troell received critical acclaim for his biopic "Hamsun" (1996), about the Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian author who lent support to the Nazis during WWII.
- Born:
July 23, 1931 in Limhamn, Skane, Sweden
-
Job Titles:
Director, Director of photography, Editor, Screenwriter, Teacher
Milestones
-
1960 Directed and photographed first short documentary film, Stad/The Ship
-
1961 Cinematographer and co-director on Bo Widerberg s first short, made for TV, Pojken och draken/A Boy and His Kite
-
1961 Filmed several TV documentaries
-
1963 Served as lighting cameraman on Bo Widerberg s first feature film, Barnvagnen/The Baby Carriage
-
1965 Film directing debut, Uppehall i myrlandet/Stopover in the Marshland
-
1974 Directed first American film, Zandy s Bride
-
1996 Directed biopic Hamsun
-
Became apprentice in TV
-
Gained acclaim for his two films The Emmigrants (1972) and The New Land (1973)
-
In the 1950s, worked as teacher at the Sorgenfri primary school in Malmo for nine years (an experience he drew on for his study of a teacher s relationship with his class, Ole Dole Doff/Who Saw Him Die? 1968); lived in a house once occupied by Ingmar Bergman
-
Returned to Sweden