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One on OneSteen Agro: making a film splash on a shoestring
Steen Agro made a big impact with his first full length feature film, the
British-Czech black comedy ‘Shut up and shoot me’ (Sklapni a zastřel
mě) in which Czech actors Karel Roden and Anna Geislerová had star roles.
Five years on, he has moved to Prague and is seeking to build on his debut
success. …..I asked him how tight were the purse strings for that first
feature film.
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PanoramaHighly-anticipated crime thriller hits Czech screens
This Wednesday saw the premiere of the highly-anticipated Czech crime
thriller Kajínek, partly based on events surrounding one of the Czech
Republic’s most notorious convicts. Found guilty of two contract killings
in the ‘90s, Jiří Kajínek would probably have remained forgotten
behind bars had it not been for a daring escape from the country’s
toughest prison he has also always maintained he was innocent.
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ArtsKarlovy Vary International Film Festival draws young audience with mix of bigger productions and little-known gems
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival kicked off in the west
Bohemian spa town for the 45th time on July 1st. And while the event itself
is reaching middle age it is still displaying its power to pull in a
remarkably young audience as the turnout in the crowded Hotel Thermal, the
heart of the festival where most of the films are shown, testifies. Sarah
Borufka was among the guests and reports on the festival’s special role.
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One on OneAnna Geislerová is seeking a challenge
Interviewing Anna Geislerová leaves you with little doubt as to how she
came to be the most well-known actress in the Czech Republic. She hardly
needs a role to be a fascinating character in her own right:
individualistic,
forthright, thoughtful and indeed very charming. She puts her personality
into
a lot of different activities - literary, charitable, social, artistic -
and
the country loves her for it. But the Czech Republic has become too small
for Anna Geislerová. In the illustrious Vinohrady Theatre, where she was
doing a photo shoot, we talked about where she’s going now and how she
got to where she is. More
Current AffairsActress Tatiana Vilhelmová takes dance to drama
A novel theatre production where poetry meets drama, original music and
modern ballet has just opened in Prague. Additionally, the big draw for
many audiences coming to Posedlost, or Obsession, will be the continued
transformation of one of the Czech Republic’s leading actresses, Tatiana
Vilhelmová, into a popular and accomplished dancer. Christian Falvey was
at the show’s premiere.
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Current AffairsActress Anna Geislerová to host top Czech literary awards
If you are a writer or translator in the Czech Republic, then about the
biggest accolade you can get is a Magnesia Litera award. The eighth annual
Magnesia Litera was launched on Tuesday, with organizers saying they had
more than 320 new Czech releases to read their way through and judge.
Awards are given for the best new Czech fiction, poetry, children’s
literature, and translation, with the Czech public also voting for their
own favourite book of the year. The winners will be revealed at a glitzy
ceremony in Prague next month, hosted by Czech actress Anna Geislerová.
Earlier on, she told me why she’d got involved:
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Current AffairsCzech box-office hits premiere in New York
Several Czech films made their New York debuts at The Brooklyn Academy of
Music recently. The New York cultural institution's annual Czech film
series is now it its ninth year - and is the longest running series at the
Academy. This year's roster of films included Bohdan Sláma’s ‘The
Country Teacher,’ Vladimir Michálek's 'Of Parents and Children', and Jan
Svěrák's 'Empties'. Kate Barrette has this report from New York where she
spoke with Czech directors and actors, as well as the co-curator of the
series Irena Kovářová:
More
Current AffairsNATO backs US missile defense plan, but critics remain unconvinced
NATO foreign ministers on Wednesday affirmed their support for US plans to
install anti-missile defenses in central Europe saying that the deployment
of a tracking radar in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in
neighbouring Poland would make a "substantial contribution" to
protecting Europe from the threat of long-range ballistic missiles. Despite
the clear implication that the US missile defense components would be
incorporated into European defense structures, the statement has left
critics in the Czech Republic unconvinced.
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ArtsUnusual love triangle (and cows) at centre of new Czech film Country Teacher
The latest film by the Czech director Bohdan Sláma Venkovský Učitel –
Country Teacher – opened at cinemas around the Czech Republic on
Thursday. In keeping with its creator’s previous pictures, Venkovský
Učitel is a naturalistic and poignant drama. But the love triangle at its
centre is rather unusual in the context of Czech cinema. More
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