Footprints of Czech filmmakers in foreign films

Do you occasionally spot a familiar Czech face or a familiar street in a foreign film? And when you look more closely at the subtitles, there is no shortage of Czech names there? Film has no boundaries and neither has collaboration of filmmakers. Czech filmmakers are renowned among their foreign colleagues, and that's why mutual cooperation is frequent. Most of the films presented here were made in cooperation with Czech productions and with the support of the State Cinematography Fund, which allows Czech professionals to participate in them. In the Czech Footprints section, we offer a selection of the most interesting films of the past year with Czech footprint.

One can be found, for example, in the co-produced Slovak tragicomedy, Réveillon, about the last night together of Czechia and Slovakia, starring Eva Holubová, Bolek Polívka and Jan Budař, with David Hoffman behind the camera. Aňa Geislerová appeared in Peter Bebjak's Whirlwind and Martin Jílek took care of the sound. The Slovenian film, Role Model, was shot by Czech cinematographer, Jan Šuster. The sound for the meditative anthropological documentary, Ice Trail, was done by Kryštof Blabla. The editing of the Balkan comedy and at times frightening probe into wedding traditions, Forever Hold Your Peace, was done by Michal Reich.

The Czech co-production also includes films inspired by real characters, such as Miki, about the most famous Slovak mafia boss, Mikuláš Čermák, and Oxygen Station, about the dissident and fighter for the rights of Crimean Tatars, Mustafa Džemilev. They also include the Slovak World War II film, Emma and the Deathhead, which premiered at Karlovy Vary IFF and will have one of its special screenings in Pilsen before its October premiere; the observational documentary, A Shaman's Tale, about a walker on his way to assassinate Vladimir Putin; and a Ukrainian absurdist comedy, The Editorial Office, a depressing socio-political drama about forests that are on fire and nobody cares.

Foreign crews also like to choose Czech locations for their filming. For example, the castle scenes from the Nordic historical film, Bastard, starring Mads Mikkelsen, were filmed at the Libochovice castle. The iconic scene of the departure of the children's trains dispatched by Nicholas Winton in One Life could not have taken place anywhere other than at Prague's Main Railway Station. Other scenes were shot in the rolling mills in Chomutov.

For more information about the films and the detailed programme, please follow our website.