Born in Budapest in 1938, István Szabó studied at the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest, made his first short in 1959 and his first feature, The Age of Illusions, in 1964. His films explore the links between private lives and the political and historical upheavals of Central Europe, often with Klaus Maria Brandauer. Mephisto (1981) won the Oscar for best foreign language film, and later works include Colonel Redl, Hanussen, Sunshine, Taking Sides and The Door. He won best director at Berlin for Confidence (1980).
Filmography
- Father (1966)
- Confidence (1980)
- Mephisto (1981)
- Colonel Redl (1985)
- Sunshine (1999)
- Taking Sides (2001)
- The Door (2012)