Jan Soldat was born in 1984 in Karl-Marx-Stadt (now Chemnitz), former GDR. In 2002 he graduated from secondary school (Abitur) with advanced courses in mathematics and English, followed by civilian service from 2002–2003 at Chemnitz Hospital, in the gastroenterology and dialysis departments. From 2003–2004 he studied business mathematics and from 2004–2006 mechanical engineering at TU Chemnitz, discontinuing both. From 2006–2007 he made his first short films within the SAEK Chemnitz and the Chemnitzer Filmwerkstatt e.V. From 2008 to 2014 he studied film and television directing at the Film University "Konrad Wolf" Potsdam-Babelsberg, and from 2023–2024 he attended the Friedl Kubelka School for Analog Film and Independent Filmmaking.
Films (selection): DER UNFERTIGE (2013), WOHNHAFT ERDGESCHOSS (2020), PAUL (2022), STAGING DEATH (2022), BERND (2026)