1. Early Life and Background
László Nemes was born Nemes Jeles László in Budapest, Hungary, on 18 February 1977. His family background includes a Jewish mother and his father, András Jeles, a prominent Hungarian film and theatre director. When Nemes was 12 years old, he moved to Paris, France, where he spent his formative years. His interest in filmmaking developed early in life; he began creating amateur horror films in the basement of his family's Paris home.
1.1. Education and Early Career
Nemes pursued a diverse academic background, studying History, International Relations, and Screenwriting. After completing his studies, he began his professional career as an assistant director in both France and Hungary, working on various short and feature films. A significant period in his early career was his two-year apprenticeship with renowned Hungarian director Béla Tarr, during which he served as Tarr's assistant director on the set of The Man from London. Following this experience, Nemes relocated to New York City to further his education in film directing at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
2. Career and Major Works
László Nemes's career gained significant momentum with the critical and commercial success of his debut feature film, leading to further acclaimed projects and public discourse.
2.1. Development and Production of Son of Saul
After directing his first 35-mm short film, With a Little Patience, in September 2006, Nemes focused on developing his debut feature. The screenplay for Son of Saul was a collaborative effort with Clara Royer. Their intensive work began in September 2011, when Nemes spent five months in Sciences Po Paris as part of a scholarship program arranged by the Cinéfondation. In 2012, they continued to refine the screenplay over seven months at the Jerusalem International Film Lab, an environment that allowed interaction with other emerging directors, including Boo Junfeng and Morgan Simon.
2.2. International Recognition and Success of Son of Saul
Son of Saul premiered as part of the main competition at the 68th Cannes Film Festival in 2015, where it quickly garnered widespread critical acclaim. The film was awarded the Grand Prix, the festival's second-most prestigious prize. Its success continued globally, as Nemes accepted the 2015 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film for Son of Saul on 10 January 2016, making it the first Hungarian film to win this award and only the third to be nominated. Furthermore, Son of Saul achieved the distinction of being the second Hungarian film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In recognition of his growing prominence, Nemes was invited to serve as a member of the main competition jury at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
2.3. Subsequent Works
Following the success of Son of Saul, Nemes developed his second feature film, Sunset, through the TorinoFilmLab Script&Pitch program in 2012 and the Framework program in 2015. Released in 2018, Sunset earned the FIPRESCI Award at the 75th Venice International Film Festival and the Eurimages Award for Best European Coproduction at the 15th Seville Film Festival. Nemes also directed Orphan, which is currently in post-production.
2.4. Public Statements and Views
László Nemes has publicly expressed strong opinions on significant social and historical issues. On March 15, 2024, he issued a public statement condemning Jonathan Glazer's acceptance speech for The Zone of Interest at the 96th Academy Awards, where Glazer stated he and producer James Wilson stood "...as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people, whether the victims of October 7 in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza."
Nemes criticized Glazer, asserting that he "...should have stayed silent instead of revealing he has no understanding of history and the forces undoing civilization, before or after the Holocaust..." He further accused Glazer of resorting to "talking points disseminated by propaganda meant to eradicate, at the end, all Jewish presence from the Earth." Nemes also drew a connection between the film's focus on the perpetrators of the Holocaust rather than its victims and Glazer's speech, stating, "[M]aybe it all makes sense, ironically... there is absolutely no Jewish presence on screen in The Zone of Interest. Let us all be shocked by the Holocaust, safely in the past, and not see how the world might eventually, one day, finish Hitler's job - in the name of progress and endless good."
3. Artistic Style and Influences
László Nemes's directorial style is often characterized by a distinctive approach that immerses the viewer directly into the protagonist's experience, often utilizing a shallow depth of field and close-up cinematography. His films, particularly Son of Saul, are known for their intense, visceral, and unsparing portrayal of historical events, focusing on individual perspectives within larger, horrific contexts.
Nemes has cited several renowned directors as significant influences on his cinematic vision. These include Italian master Michelangelo Antonioni, Russian auteur Andrei Tarkovsky, Swedish Bergmanian Ingmar Bergman, American director Terrence Malick, and visionary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. These influences suggest an artistic leaning towards deep psychological exploration, evocative visual storytelling, and a contemplative approach to narrative.
4. Filmography
László Nemes's filmography includes a selection of impactful feature films and a series of short films that mark his development as a director and screenwriter.
4.1. Feature Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Son of Saul | Director, Writer | |
| 2018 | Sunset | Director, Writer | |
| TBA | Orphan | Director | Post-production |
4.2. Short Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Arrivals | Director | |
| 2004 | Une vie en l'air | Co-director | Co-directed with Emmanuel Malkah |
| 2005 | Before Dawn | Co-director | Co-directed with Bálint Kenyeres |
| 2007 | With a Little Patience | Director, Writer | 14 minutes, 35mm |
| 2008 | The Counterpart | Director, Writer | 14 minutes, 35mm |
| 2010 | The Gentleman Takes His Leave | Director, Writer, Producer | 29 minutes, 35mm |
5. Awards and Honors
Throughout his career, László Nemes has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to cinema, particularly for his short films and his critically acclaimed features.
- Kossuth Prize (2016)
Short Film Awards
- 2007 - Hungarian Society of Cinematographers - Best Short Film (for With a Little Patience)
- 2007 - Hungarian Film Week - Best Short Film (for With a Little Patience)
- 2007 - Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Films - Silver Mikeldi (for With a Little Patience)
- 2008 - Angers Premiers Plans - Best European Short Film (for With a Little Patience)
- 2008 - Angers Premiers Plans - ARTE Prize (for With a Little Patience)
- 2008 - Angers Premiers Plans - Best Actress: Virág Marjai (for With a Little Patience)
- 2008 - Athens International Film & Video Festival - Black Bear Award (for With a Little Patience)
- 2008 - Mediawave International Film Festival - Best Cinematography (for With a Little Patience)
- 2008 - Indie Lisboa International Film Festival - Onda Curta Award (for With a Little Patience)
- 2010 - NexT International Film Festival Bucharest - "Cristian Nemescu" Best Directing Award (for The Gentleman Takes His Leave)
Feature Film Awards
- 2015 - Cannes Film Festival - Grand Prix (for Son of Saul)
- 2015 - Cannes Film Festival - FIPRESCI Competition Award (for Son of Saul)
- 2015 - Cannes Film Festival - François Chalais Prize (for Son of Saul)
- 2015 - Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film (for Son of Saul)
- 2015 - Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Foreign Language Film (for Son of Saul)
- 2015 - New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best First Film (for Son of Saul)
- 2015 - Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film (for Son of Saul)
- 2015 - National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film (for Son of Saul)
- 2016 - Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film (for Son of Saul)
- 2016 - Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (for Son of Saul)
- 2017 - BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language (for Son of Saul)
- 2018 - 75th Venice International Film Festival - FIPRESCI Award (for Sunset)
- 2018 - 15th Seville Film Festival - Eurimages Award To The Best European Coproduction (for Sunset)
- 2019 - 9th Beijing International Film Festival - The Best Director (for Sunset)