Narodil sa v Banskej Bystrici, v rodine lekára. V roku 1948 zmaturoval na banskobystrickom gymnáziu. V roku 1953 vyštudoval filmovú réžiu na Pražskej FAMU. Po škole začínal v Štúdiu dokumentárnych filmov. V roku 1956 prešiel do Štúdia hraných filmov na bratislavskej Kolibe. Ešte v tom istom roku dokončil svoj prvý film „Čert nespí“. Ďalej to boli televízne filmy „Malá anketa“, „Sedem svedkov“ a satirické filmové diela „Prípad Barnabáš Kos“ a „Pán si neželal nič“. Zo scenáristickej spolupráce s Tiborom Vichtom vznikli filmy „Tvár v okne“, „Kým sa skončí táto noc“ a poviedkový film „Dialóg 20 – 40 – 60“. V roku 1962 natočil divácky úspešný film „Boxer a smrť“, ktorý okrem domácich filmových ocenení získal ocenenie aj na 7. medzinárodnom filmovom festivale v San Franciscu. Po osemročnom zákaze sa v roku 1979 vrátil k hranej tvorbe filmom „A pobežím až na kraj sveta“. K posledným režijným počinom Petra Solana patria filmy „Záhrada plná plienok“, „Tušenie“ a „O sláve a tráve“.
Peter Solan was born to the family of a physician in Banská Bystrica. In 1948, he completed his studies at the grammar school in Banská Bystrica. In 1953, he graduated as a film director from the Film and TV Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He started working in the Documentary Films Studio and in 1956 joined the Feature Films Studio at Koliba, Bratislava. He finished his first movie, Čert nespí (The Devil Never Sleeps) in the same year. He also directed television films, such as Malá anketa (A Brief Survey), Sedem svedkov (Seven Witnesses) and satirical films Prípad Barnabáš Kos (The Case of Barnabáš Kos) and Pán si neželal nič (The Gentleman Asked for Nothing). His cooperation with screenwriter Tibor Vichta yielded films such as Tvár v okne (A Face in the Window), Kým sa skončí táto noc (Before This Night Is Over), and an anthology film Dialóg 20 – 40 – 60 (Dialogue 20 – 40 – 60). In 1962, he made the film Boxer a smrť (The Boxer and Death) which was popular with audiences and won awards at national film festivals and at the 7th San Francisco International Film Festival. After being banned from working in his field for 8 years, he returned to filmmaking with the feature A pobežím až na kraj sveta (And I will Run to the Ends of the Earth). His last films as a director include Záhrada plná plienok (A Garden Full of Diapers), Tušenie (Anticipation) and O sláve a tráve (On Fame and Grass).
Autor textu: Andrej Predajniansky