Martin Ťapák was a Slovak director, screenwriter, actor, dancer and choreographer (13th October 1926, Liesek – 1st February 2015, Bratislava). He began his acting career at the Slovak National Theatre (1945 – 1951). In 1950, he joined the Slovak Folk Art Ensemble (SĽUK), where, as a director and choreographer, he created pieces, such as, Basket, “Bunkoš” Dance, “Kresák” Dance, Short Folk Songs, Thread Makers, Philanderer, Gipsy Dance and Ežo Vlkolínsky, a play that combined dance and motion. From 1951 to 1956, he studied choreography at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. After his graduation, Ťapák returned to SĽUK (1958). From 1959 to 1962, he worked for Prague Laterna magika as a director. As a film actor he made his debut in 1948 in the works: White Darkness (directed by F. Čáp), Wolf Holes (directed by P. Bielik) and The Devil’s Wall (directed by V. Wasserman). He directed his first feature-length film for cinema, The Bride of the Mountains, in 1971. Four years later, he shot the most popular Slovak comedy and parody that followed a banditry theme, Pacho, Brigand of Hybe. In 1976, Ťapák became a Member of the Slovak National Council, and from 1977 to 1980, he worked as the Managing Director of Slovak Film.
