Biography

Věra Plívová-Šimková ( May 29, 1934 Lomnice nad Popelkou – October 13 , 2024 Semily ) was a Czech film director, known especially for her films about children and for children.

She was born in Lomnica pod Popelka to a volunteer family. Her mother Vlasta Plívová (née Kaplanová) worked in the Svornost theater association in Lomnica, her father František was a teacher at a weaving school. When she was three years old, her father died. Her siblings were also involved in art, sister Břetislava Pospíšilová-Plívová was a painter, Vlasta Zděnovcová-Plívová was a Hispanist and translator. After passing the matriculation exam at Lepař's high school in Jičín , where she and her family moved because of her mother's work, she decided to study directing at FAMU. After completing her studies (1952–1957) under the guidance of Bořivoj Zeman, she began assisting directors Karl Kachyňa ( Král Šumava ) and Vojtěch Jasný ( Desire ) or Václav Vorlíček ( The Case of the Lupínek ) at Barrand. After finishing her film career, she lived in Chuchelno near Semil. Her husband was the glassmaker Tomáš Šimek , who died in 1998.

She died in Semily on 13 October 2024 at the age of 90.