Harald Zwart is a Norwegian film director, born in Holland in 1965, who grew up in Fredrikstad, Østfold. He started directing short films, music videos (including a couple for A-Ha) and commercials, before moving on to feature-length movies. He has since achieved a degree of success in Hollywood, where he is now based, with films such as One Night at McCool’s (starring Liv Tyler, Matt Dillon, John Goodman and Michael Douglas) and The Pink Panther 2, with big names such as Steve Martin, Jean Reno and Andy García.

In Norway he is more famous for directing Lange Flate Ballær, a film about football fans in his hometown of Fredrikstad, which was a big hit at the box office, and its sequel, Lange Flate Ballær 2, about a group of Norwegian misfits who undergo a week of National Guard training. Zwart’s latest film, The Karate Kid, a remake of the 1984 movie of the same name, tells the story of a young boy from Detroit who moves to China with his mum and starts learning kung fun after getting a thrashing by the local bullies. The movie, which stars Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith (the son of actor Will Smith), has been very well received in the US, and will premiere in Norway at Fredrikstad Cinema on 23 July.

Did you know? Harald Zwart always adds props that represent Fredrikstad and its football club, FFK, in his movies. And he also owns a cafe, Zwart Cafe, in Gamlebyen.