Jörn Donner

Jörn Johan Donner (5 February 1933 Helsinki, Finland – 30 January 2020 Helsinki) was a Finnish writer, film director, actor, producer, politician and founder of Finnish Film Archive. He was also a publisher, editor, and a prominent literary and film critic. He produced Ingmar Bergman's film Fanny and Alexander, which won four Academy Awards in 1984. Donner also served in the Finnish parliament and the European Parliament, making significant contributions to both cinema and politics.

Biography Born into the Finland-Swedish Donner family of German descent, Jörn Donner was the youngest son of the linguist Kai Reinhold Donner and Margareta von Bonsdorff, After graduating from the Svenska normallyceum in 1951, he earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Helsinki in 1959. From 1981 to 1983, he was the chairman of the Finnish Film Foundation. making him to date the only Finn to receive an Oscar. His novel (Father and Son) won the Finlandia Prize in 1985. His earlier literary work was recognized with the State Prize for Literature in 1972 and the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland Prize in 1972, 1975, and 1981. He lived in 1960's eight years with Swedish actress Harriet Andersson and made five films with her. Andersson was also one of Ingmar Bergman's favourite actressess. He died of lung disease at Meilahti hospital in Helsinki on 30 January 2020, six days before his 87th birthday. After his death, an archive of thousands of photographs was discovered at his home, showing that Donner was also a skilled photographer. In 2023, Donner's widow Bitte Westerlund, revealed that she had thrown part of his ashes in the compost after discovering his history of infidelity. Most of the ashes were scattered into the sea, in accordance with Donner's wishes.

Filmography

(A Sunday in September, 1963) (To Love, 1964) (Adventure Starts Here, 1965) (Rooftree, 1967) Stimulantia (1967) (Black on White, 1968) (1969) Anna (1970) (Portraits of Women, 1970) Perkele! Kuvia Suomesta (1971) (1972) (1973) Near and Far Away (1976) (1978) Men Can't Be Raped (1978) Bergman File, The (1978) (1982) Hockeyfeber (1983) Dirty Story (1984) / (1988) (1998) (2000) The Border (Raja 1918, 2007) Kuulustelu (2009) Armi elää! (2015)