Topic Archive Culture
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
Rudy Linka – a guitar virtuoso bringing world renowned musicians to Czech cities and towns with Bohemia Jazz Fest
The world-renowned jazz guitar player Rudy Linka was born in Prague but
moved to Sweden at a young age. After half a decade there he left for the
US, and has been living in New York for nearly a quarter of a century. In
recent years, however, Rudy has been home in the Czech Republic every
summer, organising the Bohemia Jazz Fest, a great free event which brings
world class jazz musicians to a number of Czech towns and cities. We met at
Café Slavia, one of the haunts of his teenage years. More
Berenika Kohoutová, la Femme Plastique
Berenika Kohoutová is a name you are probably going to hear more and more
in the coming months and years. Here a successful actress, there a rising
star of the Czech music scene, the talented 20-year-old is making a good
name for herself both on TV and in appearances on stages around Europe,
formerly with the ska ensemble Disco Balls and now with her own project
Femme Plastique. 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
Stanley Povoda – the Czech Republic’s number one robot-maker
Stanley ‘Robotman’ Povoda is the father of Czech robotics. After over
half a century of bringing people’s old colanders, chandeliers and vacuum
cleaners to life, Stanley has just become the subject of his first own
retrospective in Prague’s Trafačka Gallery. Stanley (real name Marián)
Povoda has been back in the Czech Republic for five years now, after
spending most of his life in exile in North America. On a recent tour of
his new show, Stanley told me where his passion for robots began: 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
Ema Destinnová - the divine Ema
Ema Destinnová - or Emmy Destinn, as she became known abroad - was one of
the greatest dramatic sopranos of the twentieth century and one of the
most sought-after singers before WWI, thanks to her voice of exceptional
richness, power, and control. She sang with the legendary Enrico Caruso
and many other stars in the most prestigious opera houses in Europe and
the United States, such as Bayreuth, Berlin's Hofoper, London's Covent
Garden and New York's Metropolitan. More
Ride of the Kings added to UNESCO heritage list
The Czech Republic’s Ride of the Kings – a tradition dating back
centuries still practiced in south-eastern Moravia – was added at the
weekend to UNESCO’s list recognising intangible cultural heritage. The
ride – practiced in just four villages in the Slovácko region – refers
to the flight of Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus from Czech King George of
Podébrady in the 15th century. Organisers had strived for years to see the
tradition recognised and – following UNESCO’s decision – had every
reason to celebrate. More
Famous Czech jazz flutist Jiří Stivín
This week’s Sunday Music Show is devoted to one of the country’s most
prominent jazz artists –flutist Jiří Stivín. The 68-year-old musician,
who is reputed to be able to play on a blade of grass, says the feel for
jazz is something you are born with and some of the best renditions come
from children who are as yet unspoiled by the constraints of a music
education. 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
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