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Czech the News San Francisco Christmas Issue Czech the News San Francisco Czech Ambassador Petr Gandalovič meets San Francisco Mayor during his visit to California The Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States, Mr. Petr Gandalovič, visited San Francisco and Silicon Valley from November 4 to November 11, 2013 to promote and facilitate business ties between the Czech Republic and California. A substantial part of the Ambassador’s official duties was his attendance as one of the speakers and panelists at the Conference on cyber security, organized by the East West Institute at Stanford University. His program also included meetings with various city officials, especially the Mayor of San Francisco Edwin M. Lee, and Bobbie Landers, a former mayor of Orinda, which is the sister city of Tábor. During the meeting with the Mayor of San Francisco the Ambassador mentioned Ambassador P.Gandalovič with awarded George Shultz Škoda’s trolleybuses in the streets of San Francisco as a vivid reminder of the Czech Republic´s presence and discussed possibilities for adding other Škoda vehicles to the San Francisco fleet. Cont´d on page 2 INDEX Dear Friends in California, Czech Ambassador Petr Gandalovič meets San Francisco Mayor during his visit to CA.................................................1,2 Let me wish you wonderful holidays, Merry Christmas and Introduction by the Consul General.....................................1,2 Happy New Year. We have been having a very busy year Czech Films Return to SF in Spring........................................3 2013 so far. I believe, now is the time to relax and enjoy the Don Juans and Burning Bush Compete for Oscar & Golden last few days of the year. In California, we do not get to enjoy Globe...........................................................................................3 snow as much as in the Czech Republic. However, Christmas Movies Based on Hrabal´s Novels at the Czech and Hanukkah are both special times and reasons for Consulate....................................................................................4 celebration here as well. American Sokol San Francisco dinner and dance..................4 News From the Honorary Consul General Mr. Richard In the Czech Republic, the political life was dominated by two Pivnicka......................................................................................5 important elections this past year. First, the presidential 20th Anniversary of California Czech and Slovak Club......6 elections were held in January, when Mr. Miloš Zeman was Second Year of Czech School Began........................................7 elected a president of the Czech Republic. Secondly, the parliamentary elections took place this October and we are still waiting for the new government to be formed. Cont´d on page 2 To subscribe for our newsletter and upcoming cultural events, please, contact us at [email protected] or 310-473-0889 Page 1 Cont´d from page 1 Ambassador Gandalovič also held meetings with several IT companies from Silicon Valley and met with many members of The Ambassador discussed economic opportunities and the Czech community in the Bay Area. challenges in Silicon Valley with several successful Czech entrepreneurs, including GoodData. He also This fall, we had a great opportunity to celebrate the life and visited the startup accelerator Nest GSV and other to commemorate the work of one of the greatest Czechs of the business entities with consideration of future cooperation 20th century – playwright, dissident, and President, the late with the Czech Republic. “As the year draws to a close, Václav Havel. The Opening event of the Mutual Inspiration everyone in the Valley is looking to predict the next big Festival 2014 offered a screening of Havel’s film, “Leaving” tech wave”, the Ambassador proclaimed. He held talks at the Wende Museum of Communism. about latest tech trends with number of VIPs of the IT industry, attended a private party with Sokol members Untitled Theater Company # 61 from New York City performed organized by the President of Sokol San Francisco Jara a series of monologues from Havel’s plays at my residence and Dusatko and met with numerous Czech compatriots at UCLA organized an exhibit at the beautiful Powel Rotunda on Café Prague and other venues. the campus about Havel, his life, his work, and his connection to Los Angeles. His visit was concluded by attending the Czech Banquet Several concerts of famous Czech artists took place in recent & Gala event, hosted by the Czech School of California months in California. In October, famous Czech jazz pianist and Sokol SF. The Gala was a benefit event for the Czech Emil Viklický visited Foster City in the Bay Area and Los School of California. The school opened in 2012 and is Angeles, where he performed at the EU jazz festival at UCLA headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Today it is the as well as at my residence with Benny Golbin during a sold out largest accredited Czech charter school in the US, with show. Renowned Czech violinist Ivan Ženatý with pianist over 80 students at four Bay Area locations. Sandra Shapiro helped us to celebrate the Czech National Holiday on October 28. The duo also performed several shows During the Gala, the Ambassador awarded the Silver Jan in the Bay Area upon invitation of the BayCzech Organization. Masaryk Medal to George P. Shultz, former U.S. Secretary of State, and stated: “I cannot think of a better Many cultural events are also planned for next year. The time or place to recognize Secretary Shultz for his role in popular Petrof Concert Series, which we organize in liberating the people of our nation from the communist cooperation with Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU), will kick dictatorship. The successes of the local Czech community off with a concert by Fabio B. Jiricek at my residence in Los are also results of Secretary Shultz’s efforts in promoting Angeles on February 23, at 3pm. The wonderful Czech violinist liberty all over the world.” This prestigious award Pavel Sporcl will return to Los Angeles in late April and one commemorates and celebrates Secretary Shultz’s role in his concert will take place in the Bay Area on April 23, 2014. implementing foreign policy that had led to the I can also announce that the annual “Czech That Film” conclusion of the Cold War, and for his contributions to festival will continue next year. This touring series of the best the world as a statesman. The Masaryk Medal is the Czech movies from the previous year will launch in Los highest award of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Angeles on March 27 with a screening of “Honeymoon”, the Czech Republic. latest film by Jan Hřebejk. This Czech Filmfest will also travel to San Francisco where it will start on March 30, 2014. It is always a great honor for me to be invited to meetings of local Czech communities. I love to attend Sokol gatherings in Los Angeles and I was amazed at the Czechoslovak luncheon on November 21, 2013, in Orinda. I loved how many Czech people came to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere and an interesting cultural program which included dances and songs from the group Karička of San Diego. The celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Czech and Slovak Club attracted more than 200 people and the future of this fantastic organization is very bright. Lourdes Saab, Deputy Chief of Protocol with the Consul General Michal Sedláček Please look for more information about our events on our Cont´d from page 1 Facebook page or on our website: www.mzv.cz/losangeles . I look forward to seeing you at our cultural events and wish you We were honored by the recent visit of the Czech Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2014. Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Petr Gandalovič, to California, where he participated in the Czech Gala of the Michal Sedláček, Consul General Czech school of California and met the Mayor of San Francisco Edwin Lee. Page 2 “DON JUANS” AND “BURNING BUSH” COMPETE FOR OSCAR & GOLDEN GLOBE Czech film touring series „Czech That Film” will return to San Francisco next spring. For three months the annual film “Don Juans” (Donšajni), directed by the Academy Award festival will offer film enthusiasts the best current Czech Winning Director Jiří Menzel, has been selected as the Czech films coast to coast. The festival will kick off its tour in Los entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 86th Academy Angeles and in San Francisco will take place on March 30 Awards. Menzel’s newest feature combines a proper dosage of through April 2, 2014. The festival is organized in comedy and drama, opera and cinema, singers and actors. The cooperation with Czech Center in New York and the Roxie middle-aged Vitek (Jan Hartl), a director of a small regional Theater in Mission District in San Francisco. opera company, attempts to produce Mozart’s Don Giovanni. “Don Juans” tells a story about the world of opera, unmasked The festival will travel to major American cosmopolitan and stripped of its glamour. The masterpiece “Don Juans” will areas such as Washington D.C., New York City, Los compete with 75 other contenders for the 2013 Oscar Award in Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Portland, Chicago, the Best Foreign Language Film category. Phoenix or Salt Lake City. For the first time, the film series will also reach Dallas, TX and Cedar Rapids, IA. California’s Film Institute based in Marin County will screen the Czech candidate for the Best Foreign Language Film within its Additional special events traditionally complement the series called “For Your Consideration”. Series, which presents a festival in each city, such as the opening and closing selection of Oscar submissions from around the world, will be receptions and Q&A sessions with well-established Czech held from Friday, January 10 to Thursday, January 17, 2014.
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