Czech film figures Milena Dvorská and Marie Poledňáková overcome personal hardships

The lives of two prominent figures in Czech cinema, actress Milena Dvorská and director Marie Poledňáková, are marked by personal hardships that contrasted with their professional successes.

Milena Dvorská, widely recognized for her role as Princess Maruška in ‘Byl jednou jeden král’, faced significant personal trauma, including a difficult childhood during the pre-war crisis and post-war malnutrition. Her career was launched after being discovered by Jan Werich, who helped her transition from a student in Prostějov to a celebrated actress.

Marie Poledňáková, a successful director known for family comedies, faced political obstacles following the communist coup, which prevented her from pursuing higher education in mathematics and chemistry. Before becoming a filmmaker, she worked in a factory performing manual labor such as welding and grinding. Her career in television and film eventually began with the assistance of Jaroslav Dietl.