Though European directors have always been important in the film industry, not many people realize that classic European directors are not the only ones whose work is ired. In fact, there are many modern European directors who have been successful both critically and commercially.
The best part about this is that their work is very diverse both in of cast and crew and in of the themes and styles they use to create their films. In other words, there is definitely something everyone will love and a lot of representation already found in their work.
Pawel Pawlikowski
Some Polish directors like Krzysztof Kieslowski are ed as masters of their craft and icons in film history, but there are also other directors from this European country working today. Even though Pawel Pawlikowski mostly worked in the United Kingdom, his work is quite diverse.
In the 1990s, Pawlikowski was mostly known for his documentaries that attracted critics' attention even at the beginning of his career. His feature directorial debut was 2000's Last Resort which won the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Director. Pawlikowski's next movie My Summer of Love also won a BAFTA while Ida already won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. His latest work Cold War received three Oscar nominations.
Aleksei Balabanov
Not all modern directors have a happy story. Some of them start their careers in the late 1980s or early 1990s, achieve success in the 2000s, and then tragedy hits unexpectedly. Such is the story of the controversial Russian director Aleksei Balabanov.
Balabanov's first huge success came in 1997 with his neo-noir crime drama Brother which is to this day considered to be one of the best modern Russian films ever made. He later directed its 2000 sequel and followed that with War which won multiple awards. Balabanov's later films such as Cargo 200, Morphine, and A Stoker were particularly controversial because of their supposed themes, but his last film Me Too released a year before his death won the Best Director award at the Saint Petersburg International Film Festival.
Lasse Hallstrom
Some directors working today transitioned into film after directing primarily music videos. The Swedish director Lasse Hallstrom, for example, became known for directing almost every ABBA music video before starting his career as a feature film director.
Hallstrom's major breakthrough came with 1985's My Life as a Dog which was nominated for two Oscars, including one for Hallstrom as Best Director. His next critically-acclaimed film was What's Eating Gilbert Grape starring Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio with the latter receiving nominations as Best ing Actor at the Golden Globes and Oscars. The Cider House Rules was nominated for seven Oscars (winning two) while Chocolat received five Oscar nominations. Hachi: A Dog's Tale is now one of the most beloved films among audiences while the recent A Dog's Purpose was a hit at the box office.
Andrey Zvyagintsev
Among modern Russian directors, Andrey Zvyagintsev is probably the one known the best internationally. His works are often described as brutal but honest as they examine human nature and are often rich with socially-relevant themes.
Zvyagintsev's directorial debut 2003's The Return won the Golden Lion and the Best First Film award at the Venice International Film Festival. 2007's The Banishment was nominated for the Palme d'Or and won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival while 2011's Elena won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes. Zvyagintsev's two most acclaimed films are the recent Leviathan and Loveless both of which were nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar and the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
Nicolas Winding Refn
When it comes to visually striking films, the Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn is probably one of the first to come up in conversation. Though his approach of relying on visuals more than dialogue doesn't always prove to be successful with critics, he is still a beloved figure among cinephiles.
Refn's directorial debut was 1996's crime thriller Pusher which was quite successful and allowed Refn to direct two sequels creating a trilogy. His 2008 low-budget biopic Bronson was a hit both commercially and critically while Refn's international success came in 2011 with the release of Drive which won the Best Director award at Cannes and got nominated for an Oscar. Refn's latest film The Neon Demon competed for the Palme d'Or at Cannes, but polarized critics and audiences.
Thomas Vinterberg
Along with his countryman Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg is credited with co-founding the Dogme 95 movement which was one of the most prominent ones in filmmaking in the 1990s. Since then, Vinterberg has developed his own style much like von Trier.
Vinterberg's directorial debut was 1996's The Biggest Heroes while his first major success was 1998's The Celebration which won the Jury Prize at Cannes. 2012's The Hunt was nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film and won three awards at Cannes while his later films such as Far From the Madding Crowd and Another Round were critically acclaimed.
Pedro Almodovar
Pedro Almodovar is arguably one of the most well-known and acclaimed European directors working right now. His career began way back in the 1970s, but the Spanish director continues creating high-quality films that get the attention of both critics and audiences.
Almodovar's first big success was 1988's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. In the 1990s, he had a number of successful films including High Heels, Live Flesh, and the iconic All About My Mother. In the 2000s, Almodovar kept up the streak with such movies as Talk to Her, Bad Education, Volver, and Broken Embraces. He started the 2010s with the modern classic The Skin I Live In following that with Julieta and Pain and Glory. Collectively, Almodovar's films have been nominated for the Palme d'Or six times, the BAFTAs thirteen times (winning five), the Golden Globes eight times (winning two), and the Oscars five times (winning two).
Lars Von Trier
Known for his innovative approach to filmmaking and his exploration of taboo topics, Lars von Trier is not exactly a mainstream figure both in his home country Denmark and internationally. Yet, he has been successful both with critics and arthouse lovers.
Von Trier debuted with 1977's The Orchid Gardener, but his first major success was 1984's The Element of Crime which was the first in the Europa trilogy and was followed by Epidemic and Europa. Von Trier's Golden Heart trilogy comprised of Breaking the Waves, The Idiots, and Dancer in the Dark all of which were critically acclaimed and won multiple awards. His recent work was also very successful with such films as Dogville, Manderlay, Antichrist, Melancholia, Nymphomaniac, and The House That Jack Built all getting some kind of attention and praise.
Michael Haneke
Among the modern auteurs, the Austrian director Michael Haneke stands out as the one with his own, special approach to examining relevant social issues in his work.
After his 1989 directorial debut The Seventh Continent, Haneke released the controversial Funny Games which was nominated for the Palme d'Or and got a remake in 2007 which Haneke also directed. A number of films that followed were all present at Cannes in some way: Code Unknown, The Piano Teacher, Time of the Wolf, and Cache. 2009's The White Ribbon won the Palme d'Or and the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film as well as getting nominations in this category at the BAFTAs and the Oscars. By far his most successful film, 2012's Amour got four Oscar nominations winning Best Foreign Film, won the Golden Globe in the same category, got three BAFTA nominations winning in the same category, and won the Palme d'Or.
Yorgos Lanthimos
Undoubtedly, there are many talented directors working today who have already received a lot of praise for their work, but the Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos has received the acclaim he deserves while also showing that this is not his peak and he can make something even better.
The Favourite was nominated for twelve BAFTAs (winning seven), five Golden Globes (winning one), and ten Oscars (winning one),
