Archive: Culture | Film Film
Screen Czech
In this edition of Screen Czech: just what is it that Czechs like in their
movies? That and other questions will be answered by Briana Cechova, the
head of the Czech National Film Archive. And, a look back on the one of the
Czech Republic’s most famous film directors. More
Jiří Trnka: an artist who turned puppets into film stars
It would be hard to meet a Czech whose childhood was not touched (perhaps
unconsciously) by the art of Jiří Trnka, a painter, puppeteer, illustrator
and above all, the founding father of Czech animated film. His poetic
drawings brought immortality to books that would otherwise be long
forgotten. And his animated films bestowed dozens of puppets and drawings
with life. More
Debuting director Miroslav Ondruš on his new psychological thriller Vendeta
In this week’s Arts my guest is a new film director Miroslav Ondruš
whose debut feature film Vendeta is now in Czech cinemas. The film, as the
name suggests, is a psychological thriller with revenge at its dark heart.
It stars an intense Ondřej Vetchý as a father who loses a loved one and
is already being described as one of his finest performances. More
Creator of world-famous Krtek (Little Mole) dies at 90
The Czech illustrator and animator Zdeněk Miler has died at the age of 90.
The artist was best known for the creation of Krtek (or Little Mole), a
cartoon character loved by generations of Czech children that first
appeared in the 1950s. Earlier in 2011, a plush toy of the animated
character even went to space on one of the last space shuttle flights. More
Screen Czech
In this edition of Screen Czech I’ll be speaking to one of the most
influential people in the Czech film industry – Ludmila Claussova,
chairwoman of the Czech Film Commission – a one-stop shop for all
producers looking to shoot here in the Czech people. She’ll be telling us
about what the commission has to offer and gives some forthright opinions
on the country’s much maligned film incentive scheme. More
DVD series resurrects 1950s Czechoslovak Socialist Realist films
Filmy patří lidu (Films Belong to the People) is the title of a series of
Socialist Realist pictures that have been released on DVD in the Czech
Republic in recent months. These propaganda-filled films are from the
1950s, the harshest decade of the communist era, notorious for its brutal
repression, show trials and forced labour camps. More
Alice Nellis – leading Czech filmmaker returns with Perfect Days
With dramas like Eeeny Meeny, Little Girl Blue and Mamas and Papas, Alice
Nellis has become one of the best-known Czech filmmakers of her generation.
The director and screenwriter, who is 40, is now back at the box office
with Perfect Days, a comedy adapted from the stage. More
Barrandov Studios
In this month’s show we will be talking a look behind the hallowed grey
facade of one of the Czech Republic’s most famous institutions –
Barrandov Studios, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary. More
Author Jaroslav Rudiš discusses Alois Nebel – graphic novel and film focussing on the fog of history and troubled European past
In this week’s Arts, I speak to Jaroslav Rudiš, the author of an
influential graphic novel (trilogy, actually) that delves into the fog of
history and troubled Central European past. The story of Alois Nebel – a
slightly mad railwayman working in a remote border region – it has been
made into a new film that premiered last week in the Czech Republic after
being featured in festivals in Venice and Toronto. More
New documentary depicts actor Jiří Voskovec’s life in US
A new documentary that will premiere in Czech cinemas next week depicts the
lesser known part of the life of the Czech-born actor Jiří (or George)
Voskovec. In his homeland, he is best known as the co-founder and co-star
of Prague’s pre-war avant-garde theatre troupe, the Liberated Theatre.
Having spent the war in exile in New York, Jiří Voskovec again moved to
the US after the 1948 communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. The new film,
entitled My Father George Voskovec, follows his daughter Gigi retracing her
father’s life, from the difficult beginnings through his career on
Broadway and in Hollywood, to his passing away in 1981, at the age of 76.
Jan Richter saw the documentary and spoke to its director, Libuše
Rudinská. More
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