2017 www.filmsk.sk SPECIAL EDITION OF THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE ON SLOVAK CINEMA INSTITUTE THESLOVAK FILM g INTERVIEW g g g REVIEWS

WE INTRODUCE 2016 INSLOVAK FILM Iveta Grófová The Teacher A HoleintheHead 5 October VYDANIE BLU-RAY KOLEKCIE BOLO FINANCOVANÉ Z SLOVENSKÉHO ROZPOČTU PREDSEDNÍCTVA V RADE ÚNIE. | THE EURÓPSKEJ BLU-RAY COLLECTION WAS ISSUED WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE BUDGET OF THE SLOVAK PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. A PathAcross The Danube Chodník cezDunaj The Boxer andDeath Boxer asmrť The Powerof Good–NicholasWinton ľudskostiSila – NicholasWinton The SuninaNet Slnko vsieti

Everything ILike Všetko čomámrád Blu-ray collection Blu-ray kolekcia Slovenský fi Slovenský Slovak Film Slovak

Blind Loves lásky Slepé Birdies, OrphansandFools Vtáčkovia, siroty ablázni

Paper Heads Papierové hlavy lm Soul atPeace Soul Pokoj vduši I Love,You Love Ja milujem,tymiluješ

editorial cannot failbutto beoptimistic.Thefilm was inten to fifteen years ago, then we toif wedosocognisantofthestate try it ma from avarietyofdifferent aspectsbut We canviewcontemporary Slovak cine in hernovel surface,” to thebottom andthegoodfloat up to the will“Merciful let memory all thebad sink Aš). Her years ago with made hercourageous andripedébutfive a newfilmbydirector Iveta Grófová who those filmsthat bringusoptimism.Itis novel referred to above isanotheroneof Little Harbour g Film.sk institution whichalso memory publishes dedicatedendorsed bythearticles to the it canbringaboutinteresting results is inamorehistory complex manner. That to andtorevive mapout try thememory Slovak cinemaasawhole, itisbetter to merciful. However, whenspeakingabout bed intheopeningquotation, itcanbe of even more ofthisvariability. prepared for 2017 to testify thelikelihood reviews aboutpremières andthearticle of theprevious year, thethree published feature, andanimated documentary films the Czech Republic. persisting co-production overlaps with domestic production, theyalso reflect the addition to thevariabilityofcontemporary ges inthestate ofSlovak cinema.And,in three filmsjustconfirmthepositive chan- is intheFestival’s maincompetition.These film thirdly, there isalso Agnieszka Holland’s cally intheBerlinale Special section.And which also figures intheBerlinale, specifi- nent Patient bour section. And,inspeakingabout being screened intheGeneration Kplus its world première at the67

Daniel Bernát If memory works inthe mannerdescri If memory The separate studies devoted to Slovak Spoor , we also have to mention –theSlovak FilmInstitute. Little Harbour asMonikaKompaníková says (Pokot/Cez kosti which mŕtvych) She’s aHarbour (Masaryk, dir.(Masaryk, Julius Ševčík) (Editor-in-Chief) (Piata loď) basedonthe Made inAsh hasjustreceived (Až do mesta (Aždomesta th (Piata loď). Berlinale, Little Har- A Promi - - - version since 2001. website makers, students andthewiderpublicalike. The magazine capable ofappealing film- to film experts, Contemporarily, zine, takes onasimilarstructure. published asanattachment to themonthly maga The study ofCzech cinematography, whichisalso and Film Clubs, Film Festivals and Film Screenings. Production, FilmDistribution,Cinemas,Multiplexes gislation, FilmEducation, Financial Support, Film vious year, dividedinto anumberofchapters: Le summarising Slovak cinematography for thepre Slovak cinemaandprovide valuable statistical data. theannual resultswhich chart inoneof theareas of other sections. books from thearea offilmliterature andseveral and producers, presentations ofinspirational new new Slovak filmsbasedonthe accounts ofdirectors personalities ofSlovak cinema, separate texts about projects theyare currently working on,profiles of by filmmakers who respond to questionsaboutthe ments ofexperiencedfilmjournalists, contributions given monthbut,inaddition, theglosses orcom- events, ofdistributionpremieres anoverview inthe and abroad, evaluating reflections onimportant on film festivals andfilm presentations in Slovakia sections. Theseinclude current filmevents, reports complemented regular andirregular byfurther sections: theInterview, Topic andReview whichare local filmandaudiovisual milieu. a broad range ofinformation ontheevents inthe always basedontheprinciple oftheprovision of changes over thecourseofitsexistence butitwas Naturally, themonthly hasundergoneconceptual and she managedat ituntilSeptember itsbirth 2012. gazine’s editor-in-chief Simona Nôtová was present the only filmperiodical inprintSlovakia. Thema- published since January 2000 and up to 2010 it was published bytheSlovak FilmInstitute. Ithasbeen Film.sk of Film.sk The HistoryAndPresent One oftheregular attachments bringsareport At present, isamonthly aboutfilmevents inSlovakia www.filmsk.sk Film.sk Film.sk Film.sk iscomprisedofpermanent

also containsattachments y has supported itsprinted hassupported

isawell-established film - - - The Slovak Film Institute (SFI) is the sole state-funded memory and archive institution operating

2017 in the area of audiovision in Slovakia. The National Film Archive and the National Cinematographic Centre are the SFI’s basic organisational units. The SFI is a member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), European Film Promotion (since 2006); it functions as a service workplace content for the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) and the Council of Europe cinema support fund – FILM.SK Eurimages. Creative Europe Desk Slovensko is also part of the Slovak Film Institute.

k The Film Institute in Bratislava was established on k In 2001, the SFI became a full member of the 1st April 1963 and it was placed under the directo- prestigious International Federation of Film Ar- Film.sk rate of Film Production and Distribution (Filmová chives (FIAF). ------Publisher: tvorba a distribúcia) in Bratislava. The film archive Slovak Film Institute also became part of the Institute; it was established k In 2002, the SFI published its first DVD Pictures( Address: Film.sk / Slovak Film Institute 28 in 1958 by the film historian Ivan Rumanovský at of the Old World/Obrazy starého sveta, dir. Dušan Grösslingová 32 / 811 09 Bratislava the Slovak Film Distribution Company (Slovenská Hanák, 1972); since then it has published dozens Slovak Republic požičovňa filmov). of other DVDs in over 500,000 copies. tel.: +421 2 57 10 15 25 03 FROM THE HISTORY e-mail: [email protected] Editor-in-Chief: OF THE SLOVAK FILM INSTITUTE k In 1970, the SFI was presented with a copy of the k In 2002, the SFI started to implement the long- Daniel Bernát first Slovak full-length feature film Jánošík (Jánošík, term integrated audiovisual information system Editing: 04 – 07 2016 IN FEATURE FILM dir. Jaroslav Siakeľ, 1921) which was later restored, project, SK CINEMA, for processing, storing, inter- Zuzana Sotáková 08 – 11 2016 IN DOCUMENTARY FILM Editorial board:

from the history of sfi provided with a soundtrack and in 1995 UNESCO connecting, organising, searching and presenting Peter Dubecký 12 – 13 2016 IN ANIMATED FILM Alexandra Strelková placed it among the world cultural heritage. information from the SFI’s individual departments. Rastislav Steranka 14 – 15 DISTRIBUTION OF SLOVAK FILMS IN 2016 Marián Brázda 16 – 18 k In 1972, the Film Institute came under the Central k In 2006, the Government adopted the draft Pro- Miroslav Ulman REVIEW: 5 October directed by Martin Kollar Office of Slovak Film (Ústredie slovenského filmu). ject of the Systematic Restoration of Audiovisual Simona Nôtová-Tušerová 19 – 21 REVIEW: A Hole in the Head directed by Robert Kirchhoff Andrea Biskupičová Cultural Heritage with the objective of rescuing English translation: 22 – 24 REVIEW: The Teacher directed by Jan Hřebejk Ivana Musilová k By the end of 1976 the Film Club of the Central cinematographic and audiovisual works and grad- Design & graphic design: 25 TOPIC: Slovak Films in Foreign Cinema Distribution Office of Slovak Film was opened in Bratislava; at ually making them accessible to the public. This p & j 26 – 27 Slovak Films at the Festival the present day, Cinema Lumière, belonging to the is the SFI’s long-term priority project. Printing: Dolis, s. r. o. BERLINALE 2017: Slovak Film Institute, is located on its premises. Cover photo: 28 – 31 INTERVIEW: Iveta Grófová Stills from the film Little Harbour k In 2008, SFI’s shop Klapka.sk was opened. It (Piata loď) – Hulapa film 32 TOPIC: Support for Audiovisual Industry in Slovakia k In July 1989 the SFI came under the state organi- presents a broad offer of filmological literature, Film.sk is supported by the 33 TOPIC: Slovakia and International Workshops sation Slovak Film Production Bratislava – Koliba DVDs and CDs and other materials. Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. / Film Education in Slovakia (Slovenská filmová tvorba Bratislava – Koliba) up to The opinions of the editorial staff 1st January 1991 when, by decision of the Ministry k Since 2011, in association with the Radio and do not necessarily comply 34 – 35 NEW FILMS IN 2017 of Culture of the Slovak Republic (MC SR), the Slo- Television of Slovakia, the SFI has implemented with the opinions expressed by the contributors. vak Film Institute – National Cinematographic the national project entitled Digital Audiovision © Slovenský filmový ústav 36 – 40 PRESENTING THE SLOVAK FILM INSTITUTE Centre was established as an independent public in order to systematically digitise the audiovisual contributory organisation managed by the MC SR. heritage and make it accessible. Two specialised Hence, by delimitation, the SFI also acquired pro- digitisation workplaces are part of the project. SFI’s 36 – 37 TOPIC: SFI’s National Cinematographic Centre ducer rights to the archived films which were made digitisation workplace is located in the basement and National Film Archive with New Management before 1991 by Slovak Film Production. of Cinema Lumière in Bratislava. The national 38 PUBLICATION ACTIVITIES OF THE SFI Digital Audiovision project was concluded on 39 PROFILE: Viktor Kubal k The Slovak Film Institute played a part in the pre- 30 November 2015; however, it will be retained paration of the extensive publication entitled His- until 2020. 40 FROM FILM EVENTS tory of Slovak Cinematography (Dejiny slovenskej

kinematografie, 1997); the second, updated issue k In September 2011, Cinema Lumière was opened of the book is currently being published. in Bratislava. The cinema is operated by the SFI. y Stanko V photo: AH Production 2016 in feature film Who Is to Blame? g Jana Dudková

After the first five successful years since the Slovak Audiovisual Fund was established, Slovak cinema appears to be consolidated; the individual trends do alternate but they, nevertheless, remain quite stable on a broader time-frame. Nor did we experience any marked surprises in feature film in 2016, either.

It was probably The Red Captain (Červený kapitán, mas last year). Almost all the films from the six good qualities, the film underscores the abomi- between condemnation and romanticisation (of dir. Michal Kollár) that deviated most from the cur- under review move consistently along one of two nation of communism and the snares of the Stock- drug addict outsiders and the world of luxury rent forms of feature film in Slovakia, not only by lines: either along the anti-communism line or holm syndrome which is fully manifested in the prostitution), or between demonisation (the slea- focusing on a historical period quite untypical for the social drama line. The first is represented by scenes of the teacher-parent meeting based on zy hairy backs of old men raping the angelically Slovak film but, in particular, in the visual treat- The Red Captain, Agave (Agáva, dir. Ondrej Šulaj) the principle of a model little morality where the alabaster heroine) and innocuous caricature (the ment and the extent of the use of special visual and The Teacher (Učiteľka, dir. Jan Hřebejk), and destroyed victims, a flippant rebel and a number strange hot-dog seller with excessive overbite). effects. Their appearance has been considerably the second by Little Feather (Pirko, dir. Lucia and of hesitant parents are supported mainly by obvi- The metaphor of a plant that blooms once in a professionalised since Immortalitas (2012) was Petr Klein Svoboda) and, in part, also by Stanko ously corrupted individuals. lifetime and then dies finds its parallel in the des- made hence the audiences of The Red Captain (dir. Rasťo Boroš). With a little exaggeration we The critical attitude of Little Feather is of a differ- tiny of the heroine of Agave who is to get to know could delight in a Bratislava which, to all extents could state that this collection (in which only Jo- ent nature. The motifs of two films –The Miracle love for the first and last time in the summer pre- and purposes, was not adequately captured in film hanna’s Mystery diverges) plays into the hands of (Zázrak, 2013) and Made in Ash (Až do mesta Aš, ceding “Victorious February”.1 However, the ques- due to the rapid decline in film production in the all the opponents of the current political regime. 2012) – come together in the film, and there is an tion arises as to whether such a metaphor is suf- early 1990s. But in reality, nothing is ever that simple, so one evident effort to move them to a new stylistic form. ficient if we do not learn from the film what the But can we consider The Red Captain to be should rather ask what the reviewed films really However, while a certain stereotypicality of the values of the old world, which is about to be so a surprise? say about our past and present times. Do their plot-line in The Miracle and Made in Ash was re- bitterly destroyed, consist of – except for sitting This paper includes a review of six Slovak and images possess any power? And if they are to be deemed by the emphasis on narrative by image, at wine and verbally declaring one’s spontaneous majority Slovak films or equal co-productions that critical (and most of them are), is their critical this attempt did not deliver so well for Little Feath- relation to women. While The Teacher focuses on were released into general distribution over the scalpel really constructive? er. A visually and narratively refreshing digression the abominable dimensions of communism as a course of the previous year (including Nvota’s fairy Of course, another question is what we under- from the usual Slovak variations of social drama, system in which Party affiliation determines who tale Johanna’s Mystery/Johankino tajomstvo which stand as critique: conventional condemnation of which looks promising, mars its reputation with gets to wield power and which establishes the pre- actually received its première at the end of 2015 what should be condemned or the process of revalu- the gaudy and too illustrative use of music and, dispositions for manipulation, Agave perceives but it was screened exclusively in Cinema Lumière ation and raising doubts. For instance, the teach- at the same time, with the indeterminate moral communism as a metonymy, a foggy apocalypse 04 — 05 in Bratislava and was only distributed to other cine- ing monster in Hřebejk’s film lacks almost any attitude of its authors and the unclear border to follow after a temporary idyll. Condemnation is 06 — 07 2016 in feature film deflects attention toward solutions that border communism works to favour conspiracies and often also for thefact thatanti- simple andsuperficial positive aspectsoftheideaasocial state, but failings ofactual communistregimes from the of soberarguments,theinabilityto separate the harm –many currently criticiseitfor adearth ideology, trivial anti-communismalso causes fail to agree that communismisa condemnable always follows suchanidyll. about warsanddisasters where anapocalypse tural clichéfamiliarfrom fairy-talesandstories here amatter ofsocietal consensusandthecul and also the kindface ofthestate whichliftsthe represented bythestaff ofthechildren’s home, ine rejects theclearly demonicform ofthestate, to live onthefringes ofsociety. Thereby the hero tion ofassistancefrom the state andthedecision the mistrustisexpressed by theheroine’s rejec der review itis,inparticular, social dramas from recent years; ofthefilmsun nism. Thisalso relates to theSlovak variations of mistrust instate institutions thanto anti-commu- nipulative practices. even todaynism survives andusesthesame ma of it develops aconspiratorial dotfrom theending for instanceviathecorruptionofchurch. Thus, controlling theseemingly democratic system – and to oftheState theefforts Security to keep on to ofcommunismeven after thesurvival itsfall Captain is fictitious story also characteristic of much onwhichsideevilcrystallises. ally, asifthefilmneeded to assure theviewer too flashes through thenarrative butonly occasion nist. Here andthere thetragedy of humanfates credible ofthemainprotago acting performance solutions, the“paper” dialogues andthescarcely it pays thepricefor theover-stereotypical image sensual atmosphere withcolours andsounds,but also appearasineffective. was inclinedtoward inhisdirecting débutmight but themelancholicfatalism that Ondrej Šulaj Teacher on extremism. Theblatant demonisation of Even thoughSlovak filmmakers usually donot However, mostofthe above films refer rather to Perceiving communismasametonymy ofthe The Teacher . Thisstiflingdetective calls story attention inthiscontext any will cause, notserve : thethesisthat therotten commu Agave Little Feather seeksto evoke a The Red where The ------the viewer toward apassive drowning inhelpless- bear for the viewer. While the otherfilmsnudge they face up to theworld and themessage they or alesser degree of triviality, butalso intheway lies notonly in ahigherdegree ofinnerconsistency gination whichiscrucial for thefairy-taleworld. vations ofthecharacters, andfrom thelack ofima- suffers from theillogicality orthemoti- ofthestory aesthetically so.Moreover, thelast-mentionedfilm dramaturgy isexcessively even conservative, an- would gaintheimpression that itssensefor music basis of tively). Ifwe were to evaluate Slovak filmonthe ing (aseventually at a level higherthanthat of the actor’s first read- schematic dialogues that are difficult tobeplayed the impression that ithad returned to theera of basis of petitors. Ifwe were to evaluate Slovak filmonthe on muchmore credible narration thantheircom nists, butalso dueto thefact that bothfilmsbet badfor that everything occurred to theprotago two films to clearly blameothers(orthesystem) just dueto theunwillingness ofthemakers ofthose not difficult to come upwith such a contention not valuable Slovak feature filmsmade last year. Itis for theperiod). filmmakers looking for thosewhoare to blame derstood asasymptom oftheperiod(without and also withitsnon-typical hero whomay beun- its consistency ofimage andmusicdramaturgy, verges onkitsch,butthefilmwinsthrough with style ofthegoldenage ofAmericanroad movies vakia andItaly. Thecolour toning ofthefilmin by hermother;theyare ontheroad between Slo- justed petty fraudster and a Roma girl abandoned film. Instead, struggle withpower isjustnotraised at all inthis power. Andthisissimply done:thequestionof that isoutsidethecontrol (ofstate orpatriarchal) the tendentious romanticisation ofeverything road movie début xurious life that shestill yearns for. – butdoesnotensure for hertheadequately lu- her, provides herwithaccommodation andajob heroine from outofthepimps’den,rehabilitates I regard In essence,outofthefilms reviewed, only the However, thevalue of The Teacher Little Feather Stanko Stanko and The Teacher Stanko or offers ofamalad- thestory and The Red Captain The Red Captain Agave sets itself apart from setsitselfapart Johanna’s Mystery we couldeasily get also showsillustra- as the most asthemost and Stanko we we - - shakes offhis fear at theendoffilmand, al- And sothemaladjusted petty criminal Stanko blame thesystem, itbuildsonbasichuman values. not seekto findoutthe roots ofhismisfortuneor the hero, butalso to teach himempathy. Itdoes audiences, thefilmtries to arouse compassion for this mightbeunattractive oreven tedious for the tangible throughout theentire film. Even though image ofaneurotic whosefear offailure isalmost with apoker face. Instead, Rasťo Boroš offers the whotakesfrom theperiphery life’s hardknocks smashes theusual image oftheSlovak anti-hero who will do“all thework” for us. identification withthehero searching for thetruth, if we donotjustconfineourselves to comfortable under-motivated, thismessage canbeimportant prehensibility and some characters might seem to be of thedialogues doesnotincrease thefilm’s com- collective depends.Even though poorarticulation courage onwhichtherescue ofmoral values ofthe role oftheindividual, thepersonal enthusiasmor victim to manipulator, Kollár’s filmemphasisesthe offer animplausible rapid transformation from ness andcondemnation, or(like In turn, Stanko’s value consistsinhowthefilm Little Feather ) they ) they government of Czechoslovakia.(translator’s note) Party of Czechoslovakiaassumedundisputedcontroloverthe 1 Agency underContract no.APVV-0797-12. This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development could beawarningfor us. mestic political situation iscurrently developing route leading to newtotality. And theway thedo a predator. Bothapproaches would, rather, bea or thestate, norto voluntarily accept therole of in questionpointto isneitherto blametheothers out of thecrisishumanitythat most of the films has betrayed aninnocentgirl.Because theway beit belatedly, herefuses to accept thefact that he The 1948 Czechoslovak coup d’etat in which the Communist The 1948Czechoslovakcoupd’etatinwhichtheCommunist Little Feather

V y photo: Bontonfilm - When Land Is Looking for Its Heaven V photo: ASFK

2016 in documentary film Films Labelled “2016 Documentary” g Marek Urban

The 2016 distribution year ushered in eleven films which were labelled as “documentary”. have the image immediately put in sharp contrast While in 5 October static shots supported the main We will pose a simple question when analysing them: How do they extend our experience with the account. Some shots are just a simple de- theme of the film, inSteam on the River (Para nad piction of the word (slow-motion shots of a body riekou, dir. R. Kirchhoff, F. Remunda) the style is in with film or documentary film as a form of art? while washing during a monologue on sexuality), conflict with the protagonists. Ageing jazzmen deal while others shock with their explicitness (finger- with the proximity of death each in their own way: According to John Dewey, art can be defined by something in the film which they did not previous- nails being pulled out). Okhwan’s Mission Impos- they curse, they are cynical, they demonstrate their the premise that it extends our experience. If we ly know about themselves. Someone else might sible is a film consistent in its variability, it consist- spontaneity and defiance whenever the opportu- take a closer look at this assertion, we arrive at evaluate the extension of experience with film as a ently surprises with new stimuli and introduces nity presents. As viewers we probably suspect that the perception that anything can be art: a urinal medium – the film may have no interest for them new contexts within which we repeatedly recog- dying, ramshackle hotels and audiences reminis- exhibited in a gallery, just like Rothko’s paintings, as a viewer but it may play an important role in nise the main protagonist. cent of zombies are hardly the most joyous ones; the fourth part of Transformers or Okhwan’s Mis- the development of film aesthetics. If continual change is the unifying principle of however, in its style the film always adds some- sion Impossible (Okhwan na ceste za slobodou). I would like to open the analysis with Okhwan’s Okhwan, total stylistic coherence is the unifying thing – a shot of fish bones, flies, broken walls. Dewey did not generalise, he did not create distinc- Mission Impossible (dir. M. Mackovič) the style of principle of 5 October (dir. M. Kollar). Just like Okh- The attempt to add seriousness paradoxically de- tions between a lower and higher art, he did not which, paradoxically, is unified by not being unified wan, this film also takes the form of an account creases the seriousness of the film, it mellows the talk about types or genres. The basic condition of his by anything at all. The simple narrative of the motif of a journey; however, it thematises, in particular, contrast between the life energy of the protagonists philosophy is simply the extension of experience. of a journey does not form any more pronounced the closeness and ubiquity of death which is re- and the situation in which they find themselves. However, if we ask how many films extend our dramatic arc, hence the viewer’s attention is held presented by the tumour growing within the pro- The documentary IMT Smile and Lúčnica: Made experience and how, we find ourselves in a difficult by constant alteration of the film style. The style tagonist. Static very wide shots depicting circling in Slovakia (IMT Smile a Lúčnica: Made in Slovakia, situation. A film may be “boring” for one person frames the perspective from which we observe the ravens, rain, mud, decomposing potatoes, facto- dir. P. Janík) is constructed as a concert recording (i.e. it lacks stimuli) while someone else may see main protagonist: slow-motion close-ups of the ries tinted in grey, and all that without any alle- where performances of IMT Smile alternate with an “apparition” in it. That is because each and every face alternate with wide shots with many figures, viating commentary, immerse the viewers quite performances of the Lúčnica folk ensemble, and one of us evaluates the extension of experience static shots alternate with shaky shots from a hand- indiscriminately in a situation where they have these again with the comments of the organisers. within a different context or narrative. Someone -held camera, archived childhood shots alternate to face up to the following dilemma: without sur- The performances themselves impress with their might evaluate the extension of their subjective with dynamic shots from the GoPro camera. Sound gery the probability of death is ninety-two per- energy, while Ivan Tásler’s broad smile is disarm- 08 — 09 experience, for instance they can comprehend effects at one point illustrate the narrative just to cent, with surgery fifty-fifty. ing. However, the film’s simple dramaturgic prin- 10 — 11 2016 in documentary film pears more expressively in tion that itdidmake “sense”. Didit? sense, andhiscommentsconclude withhisasser- tion between thetwo ensembles would notmake times that hewasmostly afraid that theconnec at adeclarative level: IvanTásler repeats several Moreover, thecommentsoforganisersremain or theyaltogether failto correlate withthesongs. rally illustrate thecontent ofIMT Smile’s songs ofLúčnica eitherlite-instance, theperformances meanings nordotheycomplement each other. For three levels ofthefilmdonotmutually create new ciple isexhausted bycontinuousrepetition; the but theytend rather to inducesmiles onourfaces. demonstrate theexceptionality of this community, many kilograms to what altitude –whichshould stant references to numbers – who transported how there are the accounts and their of con- the porters mediatestary theirexperience. Ontheonehand, itself to –withitsstructure, interviews thedocumen- community ofTatra butitdoesnot restrict porters, construction ofthe“Tatra elite”. Ittalks aboutthe dir. P. Barabáš) isanotherfilm returning to the object. advertising trustworthy half-naked, whichreduces herto justanotherun lation to theTatras is,inturn, showninthe jacuzzi scene. Andtherespondent whoexpresses herre to bequite theopposite basedonthetone ofthe lages below theTatras,” which,however, appears whatsoever asaresult ofcomingfrom small vil “They don’tsuffer from any inferiority complex claimsoftheyoung free-runners: the commentary tain (unintentional) subversive quality. For instance, its objective, asitdepictsitsrespondents withacer- model. However, thefilmitselfdoesnot accomplish the filmmakers consistently present to usasa role for theTatras, justlike oneoftherespondents who should wantto join:for instance,to leave Canada create oftheTatras thenewstory andthat we “Tatra elite” which,according to thefilm,should present akaleidoscope of ofpersonalities –asort positive relation to theTatras. Theobjective isto by respondents whopresent theirunconditionally over obstacles oronmutually unrelated accounts shots ofclouds, aerials offree-runners leaping based oncommercial aesthetics oftime-lapse (Tatry, nový príbeh,dir. M.Romeo Dvořák). Itis The problem ofunsubstantiated ap assertions Freedom underLoad (Sloboda podnákladom, Tatras: TheNew Story - - - - -

below imitate theaesthetics ofcorporate promo the steadycam shootingthe football players from tion isdepicted only positively: smoothshots from “door to door”.Conversely, theyounger genera ing orthembeingreduced to theneedto sell books manifested ina negative manner:excessive booz- only thosemomentswhere theirsocial status is regard to theolder protagonists, theyhighlight to celebrate theyounger onesuncritically. With situation ofolderfootballers andto what extent what extent theywould like to render thesocial tainty ofitsobjectives: theauthorsdonotknowto itself inasimilarsituation asregards theuncer line-fuelled ascent). tion doesnotmatch theexperienceofanadrena ful downhill run,whilst,inturn, aslow composi does notallow theviewers to merge withthegrace- mersed inexperiencingthefilm(thewildmusic we see,doesnotallow theaudienceto becomeim- and themusic,whichislargely at oddswithwhat instance, we lack information aboutthedeadlines) forthe leitmotifsbuildingtension necessary (for aboutbreakingstory therecord doesnotcontain ers work withthetopic ofdeath at random, the of thefilmdoesnotpermitany ofthat: thefilmmak- along amountainridge.However, thedramaturgy the audienceto experiencewhat itmeansto teeter ing record –andeventually, theywantto allow who have decidedto attempt to break alongstand- other hand,theywantto tell ofclimbers thestory talk aboutthemystery ofdeath intheTatras, onthe to setanobjective. Ontheonehand,theywantto Matoušek) isemblematic asitsmakers are unable plish itsobjective, Whilst what we want? own limitations are all withinreach, butisthat detachedness, thesweat, theovercoming ofone’s accessible to only aclosed group ofpeople. The the experienceoffilmissolive that it remains time, thegreatest loser of perience isthegreatest winnerand,at thesame themselves. But,intheend,intensity oftheex- ers to experience the ascent up the high mountains downpours, thefilm renders itpossible for theview- majesty ofthehighmountains,gales andthe its respondents insolitude, astheyface upto the On the other hand,withitsslow progress, framing The Final Tatras: TheNew Story (Finále, dir. P. Korec, D. Milko) finds Acceptance Freedom underLoad (Akceptácia, dir. J. doesnotaccom - : - - - - - commercial for aSlovak football team. tion videosandgive theimpression ofitbeinga construct themediacampaignofpresidential can- the opposite position.Theaimofthefilmis to de- be asynecdocheparsfor this,thestories ofthe talk abouttheirsocial situation. Theirfilmshould Upper Hron River Region andlet itsinhabitants they constructtheimage ofasmall village inthe openly withtheambitionofsocial overlapping – en Difficult Choice critically accepts theperspective ofitsrespondents, Where they also lose theiruniqueness. sively through theconstantly repeated stereotypes, people and,astherespondents are defined exclu- which role thesestereotypes play inthelives of then perceive themasathreat? We donotlearn tion jobs.Why doesthepopulation ofthecountry it displays theRoma assmilingworkers inactiva- does notallow usto understandthem. For instance, ve non-critically; however, bydoingthis,thefilm a problem outofthem,itassumestheirperspecti- allegationsthe ofitsrespondents, itdoesnotmake media stereotypes, itmakes noattempt to examine cordingly, thefilmjust replicates theestablished oftheSlovaka part mediaandfilmuniverse. Ac- onto theauthorities–butall thishaslong been the responsibility forinlife one’sowndiscomfort tance to move to adifferent town for work, shifting inhabitants ofthecapital, Bratislava), thereluc- help each other(incontrast withtheavaricious asaplacetation where ofthecountryside people folklore, racism towards theRoma, therepresen Nostalgic memoriesofsocialism,countryside”. individuals aspire to represent theentire “Slovak Okhwan’s MissionImpossible The authorsof (Zem, ktorá hľadá svoje nebo,dir. E.Praus) work When Land Is Looking for Its Heaven (Ťažká voľba, dir. Z.Piussi)assumes When Land IsLooking for ItsHeav-

V photo: ASFK

non- - opens upoptions. film gives anewmeaning to the reality itself. It Müller: Unknown reality infront ofthecamera, inthecaseof films related to reality draw theirstrength from the prehensible to all. While itiscommonpractice that quality, ofgeneral ofcapturing asort feature, com- of thepast,withambitioncreating anew new image, newrepresentation, freed ofall burdens tagonist outofall knowncontexts, itcreates his opens upnewperspectives. After rippingthepro tation ofitsprotagonist, itcreates newrules and practice ofwhat afilmcandowiththe represen form: documentary.art Itexceeds thecommon ignore thelimitations setbytherules ofthechosen goes further. the deconstructionitselfisnotsufficient,film we knowaboutthemainprotagonist; however, construction potential to completely reframe what spoznaný, dir. M.Remo) eventually usesthede- cancel political campaigns?Ordemocracy? Demand authenticityfrom them?Orshouldwe certainty. Shouldwe condemnall ourpoliticians? should take andthusleaves theaudienceinun not raise any questionorpointto any direction we deconstruction hasbeensuccessful–butitdoes of political campaigns.Thisisstirringstuff –the thereby implicitly condemningthemanagement sumes theperspective of“non-voters” and“experts”, this distanceinthe“expository” linewhere itas- as thesubjectfor analysis –however, itfails to keep distance from itsrespondents, itapproaches them personalities were created. Thefilmmaintainsa scenes andhowthemediaimages oftheindividual didates byshowingwhat wasgoingonbehind the Richard Müller: Unknown Richard Müller: Unknown itistheotherway round: the y (RichardMüller: Ne- choosesto Richard - - - Mimi & Lisa V photo: Fool Moon a hand is depicted simply in terms of graphics, un- together with Operation Arctic (Operasjon Arktis, realistically, even comically schematically. The films dir. G. Bøe-Waal), Brother Deer (dir. Z. Žiaková, do depict the uneasy theme of violence against 2015) with 5 October (dir. M. Kollar) and Cowboy- women, but all that aggression is borne only by land (Kovbojsko, dir. D. Štump, 2015) with Far from “some sort of drawn figures”. Men (Loin des hommes, dir. D. Oelhoffen). A bed- In addition to the already mentioned winner of time story in cinema distribution was quite a novel- Fest Anča, Mila Fog, and Star Taxi (Hviezdny taxík) ty of 2016 – the successful TV series Mimi & Lisa and Brother Deer (Braček jelenček), which received (Mimi & Líza) by Katarína Kerekesová was present- their premières two years ago, there was another ed in a block of seven episodes. However, the full- film in the festival competition that was also made length Murderous Tales (Smrteľné historky, 2016) in 2015 – the PhD. film by Martina Frajštáková Bal- by Czech filmmaker Jan Bubeníček was also re- loon Girl (Balónové dievča). Just as in her Master’s leased in distribution; this was made in a Slovak degree film,Terra Nullius, so also in this case, the minority co-production. 2016 in animated film film delivers a very clear linear story based on a After Katarína Kerekesová, another animator of simple initial metaphor. Terra Nullius visualises the the younger generation – Vanda Raýmanová – is phrase “Mother Earth” and derives further mean- coming up with a new TV series. Her project The ings from it. Balloon Girl is based on the metaphor Tots broadcast by RTVS over Christmas has links Decline of Animation? presented at the very beginning of the film – a bal- with her short filmWho’s There? (Kto je tam?, 2010). g Eva Šošková loon flies away from the girl and she is so frustrated While, according to the press-kit, Mimi & Lisa is that a black hair with a balloon at its end grows on made for children aged five to seven,The Tots is 2016 did not bring any big numbers, themes or technical challenges to Slovak animation. her head. Long hair represents the flowing of time, aimed at younger viewers – the Slovak Audiovisual However, we should not forget its highpoint – the Christmas première of the TV series the heroine’s mane becomes thicker and thicker Fund registration system mentions the three-to-six The Tots (Drobci) and some minor distribution successes. While 2015 was characterised and causes further and further problems, leading age category. The style of this series is a bit slower, to an ever greater frustration and new balloons. the meanings are reduced and the structure and the by several premières of short films without releasing them into distribution, last year And so, just as the girl’s hair grows thicker, so also puns of the stories are more didactic. Some sort of the situation was quite the reverse. does the film – by way of its further meanings. lesson is always stated by the protagonists them- In addition to Martina Mikušová’s films, several selves at the end of each episode of The Tots, such as It was possible to view several new films in the tra- the depiction of the dark side of partner relations others were presented at the Student Film Festival “I won’t be bad again, but I will do this or that”. ditional way at the Áčko and Fest Anča Festivals. by means of a correspondingly dark film style.Oc- Áčko: The Beauty and the Knight (Kráska a rytier, The story is also summarised at the end of each The Student Film Festival Áčko exclusively presents cupation metonymically represents a man and 2016) by Matej Babic, Scandinavia (Škandinávia, episode of Mimi & Lisa, albeit not so explicitly, by the production of the last completed school year, woman by means of hands and cells. It is a film 2016) by Katarína Kočanová and the non-compe- enhancing the ethical and moral position of the the Slovak film competition at the Fest Anča In- about the physical and mental abuse of a woman, tition Redemption (Spasenie, 2016) by Marek Jasaň. characters – they never fail to do so. The aim of ternational Animation Festival presents films from just like the figurative filmChilli where the wo- There was only one Bachelor’s and one Master’s this summary is mainly to calm the small viewers the last two to three calendar years. As the dead- man is hunted like an animal by her brutal partner. degree work in the competition, all the rest being down following an adventure and, at the same time, line for film applications at Fest Anča is usually Prokopová’s White Forest depicts Emil, a man suf- exercises. to summarise the experience that helps the friends in the first quarter of the year, films made in the fering for love both mentally and physically, and In 2016, a Slovak minority co-production also had to get to know each other and to know the world current year do not have much of a chance of tak- Mila Fog, in turn the immersion of a woman into its première – a short film by the Hungarian direc- from the other’s perspective. Mimi & Lisa is not ing part in the respective edition of the festival. herself, whereby the anticipated reason for her tor, Luca Tóth, Superbia (2016). Luca Tóth reverses primarily intended as an educational TV series but Maybe that is also why last year there was only turning into herself is men. There are differences the men-women stereotypes in a comic way in a it is particularly receptive. However, both series one film with a 2016 copyright at Fest Anča –Oc - between the individual authors, especially in the surreal fluid world. Just as in Slovakia, Hungary duly react to the needs of their target audiences. cupation (Okupácia) by Martina Mikušová, which colours and the animation technique which also also has a strong generation of women authors of 2016 was meagre in terms of production and, as also competed in the Áčko Festival. Occupation express the authors’ relation to the animation me- animated films. While the heroines in Slovak ani- for distribution, it lived off the production of the and also Mikušová’s next filmChilli (2016), the dium. Prokopová’s films are monochrome, made mated films are mainly sensitive filters drawing previous year. Let us hope that this is not an in- animated film which won the Áčko Festival, have be- by combined animation techniques and they are on the personal experience of the authors in the dicator of a substantial change but “just” a coin- come part of the – so far students’ – “dark poetry something of a sacred temple devoid of film self- area of human relations, Hungarian films act as cidence or the frequently referred-to “concurrent wave” represented by Marta Prokopová (White irony. Mikušová’s films are created by means of the means for a social or feminist appeal. production” of several projects. Forest/Biely les, 2014; Mila Fog, 2015) and foresha- aggressive combinations of colours in computer- Unlike 2015, which was a fallow year in terms of dowed, for instance, by Júlia Koleňáková’s Suitcase generated 2D animation. Physical violence in the distribution, last year several projects were screen- This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development 12 — 13 (Kufor, 2012). A common feature of these films is form of cut-off fingers or the penetrated palm of ed in cinemas: Star Taxi (dir. J. Krumpolec, 2015) Agency under Contract no. APVV-0797-12. y Art4 ASFK ASFK ASFK ASFK ASFK ASFK ASFK ASFK ASFK Arolla Itafilm JM film PubRes Forum Film Forum Forum Film Forum Bontonfilm FILMTOPIA FILMTOPIA Garfield film Garfield Film CinemArt SK CinemArt SK distributor Continental film Continental film Continental film Continental film Magic Box Slovakia Magic Box Slovakia 2.91 5.29 2.88 4.84 4.68 3.63 3.53 4.57 2.69 3.83 4.81 5.08 3.48 2.34 2.83 2.95 1.91 3.51 4.00 5.26 4.61 4.56 3.13 2.00 4.00 1.61 2.18 2.20 3.00 4.62 4.71 4.68 4.44 ticket 2016: We’ve Never Had average price (eur) price 6.08 8.25 3.97 2.87 45.81 39.90 18.35 14.12 62.00 30.42 41.58 25.86 20.53 13.95 43.85 30.32 11.57 12.29 62.29 32.82 29.65 16.28 27.06 45.45 44.88 20.72 14.29 15.27 21.69 27.61 31.83 Anything Like This Before 30.36 31.77 g Miro Ulman average admission per screening per

2016 ushered in further records for Slovak cinemas. The gross box office taking grew by 570 2,186 1,081 4,509 5,071 2,485 2,504 1,352 2,795 1,770 1,744 3,000 1,436 4,092 3,612 3,094 2,082 44,026 52,215 35,784 16,210 23,808 51,543 26,197 461,580 284,956 110,404 244,973 131,467 almost 23% year-on-year and totalled nearly 30 million Euro, which is the highest figure 476,477 gross box 1,050,069 1,526,546 1,672,428 office (eur)

since Slovakia became independent. The total cinema attendance increased by 23.4% to 620 371 877 849 706 612 504 436 359 149 almost 5.7 million viewers and was the highest since 1994. And the share of domestic 694 7,651 1,925 1,395 6,024 1,500 6,838 2,549 1,658 1,405 8,363 87,224 15,283 10,790 59,292 21,724 46,568 28,497 11,314 103,145 223,032 films in last year’s total attendance was nearly 7% once again. The Red Captain (Červený 326,177 377,072 kapitán) was the best attended domestic film. admissions 7 8 10 61 20 28 61 41 33 52 92 32 383 588 542 138 169 154 198 840 333 123 116 961 695 309 1,904 1,426 1,419 3,736 7,007 10,743 11,868 Michal Kollár’s thriller The Red Captain was seen made by Pavol Barabáš, was the best attended do- numbers

by 87,224 viewers hence, overall, it became the thir- mestic documentary with 15,283 viewers and, as of screening

teenth most highly attended film of 2016 and the regards minority co-productions, Tomáš Hoffman’s distribution of slovak films in 2016 eighth most successful domestic film since Slo- comedy Stuck with a Perfect Woman (Bezva ženská 10-3-16 01-9-16 31-3-16 07-7-16 14-4-16 03-3-16 03-9-16 27-9-16 14-4-16 16-8-16 01-9-16 21-7-16 23-6-16 09-6-16 19-5-16 25-2-16 14-4-16 12-5-16 14-9-16 10-11-16 09-12-16 24-11-16 24-11-16 06-10-16 17-11-16 06-10-16 15-12-16 20-10-16 08-12-16 vakia gained independence. na krku) was most successful with 46,568 viewers. (dd-mm-yy) release date As regards production, the previous year was Thanks to this comedy and also a comedy made by SK SK SK SK SK SK SK SK SK SK only two films behind the record number of films another débutant, Radek Bajgar, The Tiger Theory CS SK/CZ SK/CZ SK/CZ SK/CZ SK/CZ SK/CZ SK/CZ SK/CZ CZ/SK CZ/SK CZ/SK CZ/SK CZ/SK country SK/CZ/PL PL/CZ/SK

made in 2015. Twenty-eight full-length Slovak and (Teória tigra), the share of minority co-productions CZ/SK/BG of origin

co-production films were made (of these only nine in the attendance at Slovak films also increased CZ/PL/SK/FR CZ/DE/FR/SI/SK

were minority co-productions). However, the pro- once more after many years. duction of Slovak majority feature films declined Slovak films were distributed to cinemas by ele- year dramatically, since only six were made. ven distribution companies – the Association of 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 1992 2016 2016 2015 2015 2015 2014 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2015 2015 2016 2016 There was a record number of premières. Twenty- Slovak Film Clubs was once again the most active -six Slovak full-length films were released in cine- with nine domestic premières – and three produc- of production mas – thirteen feature films (of these, seven were tion companies (Arolla, Art4, JM film) released minority co-productions), twelve documentaries their films directly into cinemas without the me- (of these, only one was a minority co-production) diation of any traditional distributors. the Slovak Republic Film Distributors of Union of and one minority animated film. These were com- The average attendance per screening of a 100 source: Michal Kollár Hřebejk Jan Lucia Klien Svoboda, Klein Svoboda Petr Barabáš Pavol Ondrej Šulaj Janík Paľo Miro Remo Martin Šulík Erik Praus Marek Mackovič Filip Remunda Kirchhoff, Robert Boroš Rasťo Matoušek Jaroslav Katarína Kerekesová Martin Kollar Zuzana Piussi Erik Baláž Korec Dušan Milko, Palo Michal Dvořák Romeo Julius Ševčík Hoffman Tomáš Bajgar Radek Jiří Strach Dan Přibáň Weinreb Kazda, Tomáš Petr Olmo Omerzu Marcin Koszałka Bubeníček Jan co-productions Oukropec Petr Minority All premièred Slovak and co-production films All Slovak and co-production films screeened in 2016 100% Slovak films, majority co-productions and 50/50 100% Slovak films, majority

plemented by the re-release of Martin Šulík’s Eve- percent Slovak film or majority co-production in- director

rything I Like (Všetko čo mám rád, 1992), a block of creased from 30.26 viewers in 2015 to 31.83 in the / animated films by Katarína Kerekesová Mimi & Lisa previous year. Altogether, 377,072 people came to

(Mimi & Líza) and the mid-length documentary Life cinemas to all the domestic films screened, not just in the Clouds (Život v oblakoch, dir. Erik Baláž). In those that received their première, which makes a addition, four short animated films were released 6.6 percent share of the total attendance. Tatras: in cinemas and screened before the main films: The New Story (Tatry, nový príbeh, 62.29 viewers) Brother Deer (Braček Jelenček, SK, 2016, dir. Zuzana and Life in the Clouds (62 viewers) had the highest Žiaková), Star Taxi (Hviezdny taxík, SK, 2015, dir. Ju- average attendance among documentaries, The Red admissions by Films are ranked

raj Krumpolec), Cowboyland (Kovbojsko, SK, 2015, Captain (45.81 viewers) and The Teacher (Učiteľka, note: dir. Dávid Štumpf) and Superbia (Hungary/Czech 41.58 viewers) were the most successful among Republic/Slovakia, 2016, dir. Luca Tóth). feature films. y 14 — 15

Červený kapitán / The Red Captain Červený kapitán / The Red Učiteľka / The Teacher Pirko / Little Feather under Load Sloboda pod nákladom / Freedom Agáva / Agave IMT Smile a Lúčnica: Made in Slovakia IMT Smile and Lúčnica: Made in Slovakia Richard Müller: Nespoznaný Richard Müller: Unknown I Like / Everything Všetko čo mám rád* hľadá svoje nebo Zem, ktorá Heaven for Its Is Looking When Land na ceste za slobodou Okhwan Mission Impossible Okhwan‘s nad riekou / Steam on the River Para Stanko / Akceptácia / Acceptance Mimi & Líza / Lisa 5 October / voľba / Difficult Choice Ťažká Život v oblakoch / Life in the Clouds Finále / The Final Story New The Tatras: / príbeh nový Tatry, Patient Masaryk / A Prominent Woman Bezva ženská na krku / Stuck with a Perfect / The Tiger Theory tigra Teória 2 the Lord 2 / An Angel of Anjel Pána do posledného dychu Trabantom to Bangkok Australia - From Trabant Olga Hepnarová / I, Hepnarova Ja, Film film / Family Rodinný Spider Červený pavúk / The Red Smrteľné historky / Murderous Tales Dreams! Ani vo sne ! / In Your Sub-total TOTAL TOTAL Freedom under Load (Sloboda pod nákladom), title / english slovak Sub-total

/ / / / / 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Distribution of Premièred Slovak and Co-Production Films in Slovakia 2016 Slovak and Co-Production Premièred Distribution of * re-release / 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

The Red Captain V photo: Forum Film V photo: ASFK review

Disease, Face, Country – 5 October g Mária Ferenčuhová

There are themes that we, as viewers, are generally not much in the mood for. They render us uneasy, disturb us, and highlight our own mortality. They require neither our civil atti- tude nor, in effect, our opinion. Solely acceptance. Maybe that is the reason why serious diseases, mostly with drastic treatment and not infrequently with a fatal end, do not very often make an appearance in auteur documentaries in Slovakia.

The fact that I have made use of the general notion fact and its treatment sanitised. Only a very few plucks up the courage to live the life of a patient, is manifested in the initial hospital scene by the of “disease” is actually very typical. Cancer, as one of target the theme precisely, do not avert their gaze according to the diary almost five months after protagonist’s posture, and a certain mundanity of the most frequent causes of death in the civilised and, at the same time, sensitively accompany the being diagnosed. We don’t know why it takes him living life with a tumour that we see virtually in all world, but also as a temporary life-feature of many diseased for as long as possible, sometimes to the so long, we don’t even know for sure whether the the other scenes. These indices of the perception of of those who have been cured, continues, in a cer- very end, such as for instance the “thanatographic” tumour is malignant, we just learn from the dia- the disease are the ones that determine the film’s tain respect, to be a taboo in Slovak society. The documentaries Epilogue (2011) by Manno Lanssens ry that the surgery will increase the man’s chance theme: the perception of the surrounding world vagueness of the term “disease” not only bears wit- or Farewell to Hollywood (2013) by Henry Corra. of survival from eight percent to fifty percent. is rendered more acute, vigilant, almost zen-like; ness to this fact, but also abets it. In Slovakia, the photographer and director of In his film, Martin Kollar does not crush the so- experiencing every moment as if it were the last. Thereby, information about cancer research car- photography, Martin Kollar, quite recently sought to cial taboo of cancer. He does not speak about it, Such a perception is typical for someone who, ried out in laboratories and pharmaceutical com- sensitively capture the way in which a person with he does not name it; in this case, cancer is not the under the influence of the disease, is more urgently panies, about the affair of a hospital which recently a tumour perceives and experiences this disease film’s theme. However, Kollar works with the most aware of his mortality than others would be. It is came to light where the staff sold chemotherapeu- in his full-length documentary directing début distinctive visual indices of the “fatal disease” in a also typical for photographers (and artists in gene- tics abroad which were intended for Slovak patients, 5 October – in the portrait of his brother who goes targeted manner: he films his brother’s deformed ral) or philosophers. The author of the film, Martin but also reports about alternative and non-toxic on a cycling tour lasting several months prior to face, the magnetic resonance examination, he adds Kollar, is, first of all, a photographer. Hence, the methods of treating oncological diseases, leap out the planned surgery. a comment to the diary on the surgery with the film offers a two-fold perception: it seeks to medi- to confront us from all the mass media. But it is However, 5 October is not thanatographic. It just survival prediction. But, at the same time, he also ate the sensitivity of the protagonist through the precisely this information that makes cancer some- follows a period of time: the period before the sur- offers the audiences other, more significant indices, sensitivity of the photographer. what matter-of-fact, sanitised, and removed from gery. Hence, it captures a man who is still living i.e. indices of the perception of the disease by the The basic structure of 5 October consists of a what the sick person has to undergo. the life of a healthy person and clinging on to life protagonist. They are two-fold: anxiety about the minimalistic narrative about a healthy man with Few filmmakers venture across this border from very much, even though he carries his tumour e- disease becoming matter-of-fact (and thus anxiety a tumour who is to be transformed into a patient. 16 — 17 the zone where the disease is rendered matter-of- verywhere like a living knapsack. Little by little he arising from its “treatment”, or fight against it) which But the live body of the film is created mainly by photo: HITCHHIKER Cinema photographic images of the countryside, more or the militant terminology of permanent threat and V less affected by civilisation. Kollar offers us beauty calls to “combat” the patients’ disease necessarily in its pure state, scenes of the country with a liter- exhaust the patients just as war wears down the ally metaphysical extension – from aerial vortices entire country. Kollar’s metaphors of gestation, review on the surface of the sea through choreographies growth and subsequent “C-section” are, conversely, review of a flock of migrating birds in the wind to the signs of acceptance of the disease and a fortify- “Solaris-esque” weeds in the water. At the same ing for the encounter with civilisation, for the en- time, he carefully takes notice of happy and sad counter with medicine which, as he is well aware, encounters and collisions of nature with human could destroy the country of his body or could also activity – cows curious about the tent, a dead fox rescue it before ruin. And all that despite their bio- that ended as a bas-relief on the road, seagulls logical inadequacy and the disconcerting natural tearing French fries straight out of the hand, and scene where Kollar’s brother, a small figure in green, the ground transformed into an artefact by the use wanders through the hilly forest and half terrified, of synthetic cloth. Kollar consistently juxtaposes half resolute, finally looks into the camera. nature with artificial elements: the river with the 5 October is an exceptional film in a number of factory, the horizon with industrial buildings, the hill aspects. Not only is it the work of a photographer with a zig-zag road. Or he compares the degree of with a unique eye but it also ushers in a paradigm artificiality of two artificial things: a model of a high- shift in the perception of diseases as it emphasises way and a “real” highway which, however, is con- the perception of the patient who lives with the di- A Hole in the Head, trolled by a dummy worker waving his artificial hand. sease more than dying from it. This inconspicuous Just as he is seeking out visual contrasts and change in orientation, this focus on the acceptance analogies in the visible world, he raises them in- of the disease as a part of life – a part that has got conspicuously with regard to his brother’s disease. out of control like a river out of its channel – is for a Film about Memories g Martin Ciel Just as the country accepts the interventions of me just as important as the transformation of the human activity, so also the protagonist is pluck- protagonist from a shaggy cyclist with a Marxist ing up the courage to accept the interventions of beard to a charismatic man in a hat. y Human memory acts as a processing instrument for retaining experience. It consists of medicine in his body. recollections, something similar to rumours in the brain. It is not a very precise instrument. The metaphors used by Martin Kollar (or his The text was originally published as a blog on the web portal But it remains important, even though it often displays a tendency to create its own fic- brother) with regard to the disease, are not mili- of the International Documentary Film Festival in Jihlava, Jihlava titious worlds of the past. “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” www.dokrevue.cz. tary metaphors of fight against a malign enemy (L. P. Hartley) A Hole in the Head (Diera v hlave) is about memories. Concentrated memo- attacking, deploying his forces on the main front, ries of the Roma Holocaust, the mass murder which took on monstrous dimensions during or even in concealed positions, or the need to bom- k Martin Kollar (1971, Žilina) bard the enemy with gamma rays or to destroy him World War 2 into almost indescribable cruelty. with chemical weapons, as Susan Sontag pointed He studied Cinematography at the Film and Television Faculty out in her book Illness as Metaphor (1977). He does of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. He issued a Diversity, both formal and semantic, is the basis of scenes and shots which have no actual part to play not even use the metaphors of secret services hunt- number of photographic publications (for instance Nothing Special, A Hole in the Head. Various characters and bizarre in a documentary as traditionally understood. They ing down enemies within their own lines which Cahier, Field Trip). He worked as director of photography on, for figures reminisce. Roma living on rubbish tips. Roma are uncompromisingly present here and elevate the medicine uses today, for instance when describing instance, 66 Seasons (66 sezón, 2003), Cooking History (Ako sa women lecturing in universities, wealthy Roma in entire basic structure to the level of some sort of varia dejiny, 2009), Velvet Terrorists (Zamatoví teroristi, 2013) oncological immunotherapy. Instead, there are natu- garish palaces. French, Czechs, Serbians, Croatians, essay without comments which begins to express and on Ivan Ostrochovský’s filmKoza (2015) which won the ral metaphors of growth and decline, metaphors Poles, Slovaks, Germans. It is a trip across contem- itself by way of image from time to time in order to national Sun in a Net award and special Camera 2015 award of the changing face of the countryside, metaphors porary Europe, starting quite merrily and in a car- disrupt the usual course of the narrative, its conti- in the feature film category.5 October is his directing début. of expectation or symbiosis – according to the draw- nival manner, but gradually becoming more and nuity and linearity. This results in a curious atmos- Its mid-length version received its world première last year at ing in the diary, quite literally pregnancy! Hence, more horrible and morbid. More and more impres- phere and an interesting formal harmony. the 45th International Film Festival Rotterdam. metaphors in which the tumour is perceived as sive and emotionally urgent. You will not be bored. It is a jigsaw puzzle made up of events in time, part of the body and the disease as part of the life Thereby, in essence, it resembles a standard docu- various changes from the initial state to the final of the affected person. Susan Sontag writes that mentary with “talking heads”, the expressive com- state which happen in the accounts of the individu- ponent of the film sometimes creates this feeling. al figures. And there are not that many of them. 5 October (5 October, Slovakia/Czech Republic, 2016) But it is not like that, because there are many for- Everything starts in France; it didn’t have to be

18 — 19 _director of photography, script, directed by: Martin Kollar _edited by: Alexandra Gojdičová, Marek Šulík _music: Michal Novinski _cast: Ján Kollár, Vladimír Kollár, Barbora Katriňáková, Ján Doboš _lenght: 61 min. mal peculiarities here. These are almost surreal that way, but the logic of this beginning becomes 20 — 21 review turns outthathad each Roma country concentra stories, theyskipandleap-frog over each other. It ries donottieupchronologically, theytieupby into onesingle story. The individual parts/memo ously similar, andgradually theyare transformed like aplaitofhair, theyare menacingly anddanger- its highpointandintheendstories intertwine whichgraduallyother story builds,approaches remains intheirowncountry, each onetells an and France… Thecharacters donotchange,each then Slovakia andagain Poland, Croatia, Poland Poland andCroatia andagain France, Germany, Serbia, we return to France, thenwe gothrough clear intheendthen,viaCzech Republic and suddenly rightbefore circus, gyp- theend, acertain all that gives thefilm,from andthen itsinitial parts music expressions ofcharacters directly in the shot, in thenextframe, strange, logically non-motivated music and sound effects which sometimes fade away rate study ofitsown.Consequentially depathetised adapted to this;it isbrilliant and itmeritsasepa- any stylisedaids.Work withthe soundhasbeen thefilmontheirown,theydonotneed thers carry a hole inher head, amaninwheelchair ando- stream. Thehorrific recollections ofa woman with glomerate around this theme in thecommonmain- rid oftheplatitudes andclichéswhichoften ag- thisgetting important, moniousness. That isvery out pathos, without loftiness andnonsensical cere- interpretation,of thisfilm,itisatrustworthy with- first they act asaninterpretation. And,inthecase memories may well berumoursofthebrain, but always have to beflawless Because andperfect. cise andsharpasasword. Even though itdoesn’t not justarough version ofthesense,itisaspre lected people whosememoriesmake sense.Anditis structs like infeature films,theseare carefully se- The characters inthisfilmare notfictitiouscon pened, becauseitjustdidhappen,unfortunately. that… Butitdoesn’tmatter precisely howithap have remembered that, itcouldn’thave beenlike selves sometimesdoubt thestories: hecouldn’t accrue to themconstantly? Even theRoma them and migrate inmemoriesandthat othermemories Holocaust hasemerged,that thestories wander years, akindofcollective Roma ofthe memory tical methods…Ornot?Isn’titsothat, after many thateverywhere, themurderers usedalmost iden- tion camps,that local policeforces collaborated ------trains or railways, all these are interconnected and forest,serted monstrous constructions andfrequent figures inhugemeadows, journeysthrough ade- film. Thebigintroductory shotsofplaces, small positions fill outtheentire screen. Itisacinema resemblesentire documentary abigfilm,thecom- in semi-close-up infront ofalibrary. At timesthe are thesesomeintimate accounts offigures sitting being worked withhere to agreat extent. Innocases thing isextraneous. Bigvisual plans,bigshotsare here,visual hardly context important isvery any Head text. Theexpressive componentof ing, itacquires meaningonly whenwe seeitincon- mentary. However, italso hassomethingmore. is, then happened. Ifthisis true, and in my view it definitely which records orreconstructs events that actually known facts.” who, instead ofcreating afictional allegory, sticks to from ofthefilmmaker aclear positiononthepart by theopinionorviewoflived world directly events underconsideration. The stories are formed of vieworperspective ofthelives, situations and themselves instories expressing acredible point picts specificpeople (social actors) whointroduce cerns itself withreal events andsituations. Itde Nichols: tary, oneofthem,for instance,formulated byBill which are evidently staged orinitiated also work. and frankness ofthecharacters. That iswhy scenes even intensive, thanksto theobviousearnestness The referential linkto reality strong here, isvery was aRoma!) to apigfarmintheCzech Republic. through theissueofidentityinSerbia(Bill Clinton from problems withthecurrent policeinFrance motifsofsignificance, miscellaneous secondary ofourreality. ofthehistory part There are several, ping outandexaminingthisrelatively unknown ofit,isthemainmotiffilm.Map- the memory and gloomy abhorrence. exotically explosiveness, sad merry melancholy not quite inorder. probably feel goodbutwe knowthat somethingis sy tone anddimensionofacircus tent where we The image itself does not carry anyThe image specific mean- itself does not carry There are several gooddefinitionsofadocumen- Of course,theRoma Holocaust, more specifically The feelings ofvigilanceanddangermixwith works accurately withinthispremise. The A Hole inthe Head “A isafilm documentary formwhich con- A documentary issimply Adocumentary suchafilm isanexemplary docu A Hole inthe - - - altogether fully realised. Inthethirdquarter, the shots oftherightlength provide this,even ifnot editing compositionandconsequential timingof uniquecompactness. Thedramaturgy,a certain it isstructured insuchaway that theresult reveals cters. Even thoughthefilmisbasedondiversity, the puzzle ofthememoriesindividual chara- ing thetestimony ofthewhole brought aboutby these individual elements play the role of support- Rita Prigmore, PhilomenaFranz andothers _cast: _script anddirected by: A HoleintheHead film becomesmonotonous anddisplays re- acertain selves from thefalling wet snow, thesnow-covered the characters umbrellas carry protecting them- forlorn fields,thesnow-covered trees inthe forest, the slow-flowing river, theyfall ontheextensive under ourskin.Thousandsofsnowflakes fall onto to theend,frost isthere, subconsciously getting aware. Itissnow. Itispresent from thebeginning quite beingfocused, theviewer mighteven beun- when watching thefilm for thefirsttimewithout the filmacomprehensive atmosphere andofwhich, mesmerising isthesecondvisual motifwhichgives mals are notusedany more. However, all themore one chickens. Butlater and inothercountriesani- horses, theCzech episode haspigsandtheSerbian contexts. Thefirstepisodededicated to France has phor, themotifofanimals isbasedonquite specific in the introductory episodes – it isnot quite a meta- individual countriesare characterised byanimals it could,would bedisjointed andincomplete. The first onecannoteven becalled amotif, becauseif rhythm are back. France, Serbia),setsthingsright,thepace andthe the lastthree relatively episodes(Poland, short dundancy of expression. But the conclusion, I mean Two visual motifsare remarkable, although the Raymond Gurême,Fata Dedić, NadirDedić,Toti Dedić, Ladislav Welward, Ján Konček, Krystyna Gil,KarolParno Gierliński, ( Diera vhlave Robert Kirchhoff , Slovakia/CzechRepublic, 2016) _lenght: _director ofphotography: 90min. tej moci,2011)and Loves several TVprojects.Heworkedasproducer/co-producer on riekou, 2015,co-director:F. Remunda) andhealsotookpartin Net award forBestDocumentary, Normalization Hemade,forinstance, films. production companymainlyfocusingondocumentaryandTV of Performing ArtsinBratislava. Heestablishedtheatelier.doc He studiedDocumentaryFilmandDramaturgy attheAcademy k scar onourhistorical consciousness. the film: “A Hole inthe Head writer Robert Kirchhoff made thiscommentabout about it.Itisanauteur work; director andscreen to thefact that nooneactually much knowsvery at all)survived over thecourseofWorld War 2and aboutwhat theRoma documentary (ifthey survived A Hole in the Head experimental film would haveshort beenmade. would befineeven ontheirown,thusafascinating used inthefilm also aspunctuation marks–they ly smokingfactory chimneys. Shotswithsnoware snow cover, eithermud,grey stones, adumporvile- shows upandprotrudes through theextremely thin dense white flakes.always Somethingofthecountry snow, covered itisnotabeautifulcountryside with people can slip on. It is not happy snow, Christmas of snow, thedangerous snowat monumentsthat commemorative plaques that needto becleaned Robert Kirchhoff Well, fine,intheend we return from thesnow to Juraj Chlpík (Slepélásky, 2008), (KauzaCervanová,2013)–thenationalSunina _edited by: Made inAsh , not quite an ordinary full-length, not quite anordinary (1968,Nitra) Disease of theThird Power Jan Daňhel Hey, You Slovaks! (AždomestaAš,2012). Steam ontheRiver V as aphysical scar and photo: (Hej, Slováci!, 2002), (Hej,Slováci!,2002), HITCHHIKER Cinema ” (Nemoctre- y (Para nad Blind Blind -

V photo: Forum Film review

About the Queen of Local Power g Eva Vženteková

Even if, despite their much-appreciated efforts, domestic filmmakers have, to date, not been altogether successful in their feature expeditions into the communist period, it is wholly understandable that the well-proven Czech creative team of Jan Hřebejk and Petr Jarchovský should have grasped the topic of the past in their film The Teacher (Učiteľka) made in a Slovak majority production.

Hřebejk’s valued directing craftsmanship was able position. The position afforded by the state and used the students against the arbitrary behaviour of their ed advantages remains a temptation which is di- to deal well with Jarchovský’s sophisticated script to develop private power depicts the tentacles of subordinate, because the “higher power” of the to- rected personally straight at the audiences at the set in the last decade of our joint “Czechoslovak social evil in the character of the teacher, as well as talitarian diktat and the concomitant fear it imbues end of the film. Socialist Republic” and to avail itself of its federal in the psychologically authentic semblance of the are omnipresent. The inner conflict of the story about the general potential. The film memory or return awakens the frustration of a childless and prematurely widowed The image of the different behaviours pertaining acceptance of injustice culminates in the fight to interface of identical perceptions of the socialist past woman and the charm of her manipulative games. outside and at home evokes the rule of double-stan- turn the core of those who are in favour of punish- by both the states making up the federal republic. It is no coincidence that opposition towards this dard manners. At school, the accountant Kučera ing the teacher into a majority that can no longer History is tarnished in the film by means of a main protagonist develops mainly in those who are offers to drive the teacher in his car, whilst in pri- be overlooked. Figuratively, the mechanism of the model situation depicting the practices of those in unable to play these “games” – an insignificant ac- vate he rails vehemently against her practices. The making good of society by means of individual ac- power and the increase in resistance against them. countant, the gruff and boorish sports coach and images of enforced and accepted subservience are tions is captured here. In the film, the men-fathers It does not show any dissident activities, images of the ailing astrophysicist. The wonderful scene show- not linked solely to the experience with the past regi- are the first ones to revolt against the beneficial heroes or victims (except for the daughter of the ing the accountant Kučera’s attempt to smuggle me, even though it was a big help. The filmmakers loyalty. The wives-mothers follow them only after Kučera family who are the first to revolt) or any de- the teacher’s cakes onto a plane is an example. perceive them as being a living psycho-social phe- trying unsuccessfully to exert pressure on their monised likeness of the former totalitarian regime. The encounter with one’s own inability to craftily nomenon. The contrived ending to the film depicts husbands to make them change their attitudes Everything is set in deep quotidian mundanity, the integrate within the mutual “assistance” service the character of the teacher as being fully adapted and not to expose their children to the teacher’s banality of the regime; the filmmakers have mo- evokes a sense of humiliation in the above three to the new conditions and prepared to again search revenge. However, the two women in the position delled the mannerism of the power applied on this heroes and activates their inner resistance. It is an for grounds for a mutually advantageous business of the teacher’s superiors are in a well-constructed basis, in particular in the distinctive area of edu- important psychological motive, a mental turning arrangement (the parents pandering to the teacher contrast in “gender” terms; they clandestinely join cation and training. The protection of the children point in their ascent towards their reclaiming their in return for good school grades for their children). forces with the rebels to find support for sanction- against their teacher – a “queen” of the local power own dignity. The role of the former regime features Despite the fact that, nowadays, the weak economic ing their perfidious subordinate. The image of this with a Party background – reveals the main prin- only marginally but, essentially, the film is a social functioning of the former regime, which established fight comes from the bottom, from the dark cor- ciples by which the parents abide – taking advan- image of its stability strengthened by the histori- the “community” system of its substitute servicing, ners of the privacy of the apartment, where one tage of personal benefits as against highlighting cal role of monopoly power. Not even the teacher’s somewhat caricatured in the film, is no longer a can act openly, having been suffocated by the in- 22 — 23 22 the social responsibility entailed in the teacher’s superiors can intervene and act in order to protect problem, the hydra of conformism and unwarrant- ability to do so in public. Awarding school grades as a counter-value for services, not for knowledge, ingly split by semantic rather than by chronologi- however, not only vitiates the grading regime, but cal retrospectives. Accordingly, we quickly become eventually also one’s own productiveness. Quite acquainted with many characters. We get to know typically, the majority support for the teacher dis- their motivation in tandem with the developing topic

review integrates only after statistical data are revealed story without ever becoming even briefly impatient Our Films in the Programme which disclose the real “benefits” of her grading of with the cumbersome or descriptive story. students. The transformation of the minority into The ability to adjust the acting performances in a majority is bridged by a metaphorical ellipsis and such a large number of characters points to Jan of World Cinemas a lightly stylised image of characters emerging from Hřebejk’s directing privilege, but Zuzana Mauréry g Zuzana Sotáková the darkness in the depths of the shot to sign a pro- confirmed her reputable standard by her disciplined, test petition. This is crowned by the film disclosing guarded profiling of the main protagonist. Ondřej At a time when lively discussions on distribution are held in the film industry, some Slovak the necessity to block individual acts when elimi- Malý, Attila Mokos, Éva Bandor and Judita Hansman and co-production films are also making their way onto the screens of world cinemas. nating despicability. Even though its renewed at- also performed the volume of their roles in equally tack is permanently imminent. standard quality, whilst the precise Ina Marojevič- The Teacher (Učiteľka) directed by Jan Hřebejk, Koza tribution of the film in other forms, such as televi- In The Teacher parents teach their children by Gogálová in the role of the principal should also by Ivan Ostrochovský, I, Olga Hepnarová (Ja, Olga sion broadcasting, VOD and S-VOD,” said Marian way of their own deeds. Hence, a drive to conform not be overlooked. Csongor Kassai as Kučera did Hepnarová) by the directing duo Tomáš Weinreb Urban, director of the ALEF FILM & MEDIA pro- is inherited and any thwarting of this drive appears not surprise with his excellent performance. and Petr Kazda, the block of bedtime stories Mi- duction company last November, when he also initially impossible. A representative of the oldest This skilfully well-mastered film, however, falls mi & Lisa (Mimi & Líza) by Katarína Kerekesová mentioned that talks were underway about cine- generation, raised before the totalitarian regime, somewhat short of being a masterpiece. If some and The Red Captain (Červený kapitán) by Michal ma distribution licences in other countries. At typically presents himself with rhetoric about so- reviews reproach it for having something of a tele- Kollár – these are a few of the films made recently the same time, Marian Urban added that the film cial good, good manners and the role of the school. visual format, this does not mean that the story’s that have been shown to foreign audiences, not was presented at so many festivals, won so many The conviction of the other characters – the “com- being located mostly “between four walls” is viewed just at festivals. However, festivals are important awards and was sold to quite a large number of munist” generation of parents – of the correctness as an impediment. Time probably played a more for Slovak films and they can play a role in their countries thanks to the fact that it opened the of their attitudes does not have any ideological form. important role, as insufficient time was allotted to further life beyond the borders. This is confirmed Panorama section at the Berlinale a year ago. The resistance against the abuse of the teacher’s prepare the film in cinema-directing terms. The by the producer of The Teacher Ľubica Orechovská As for the filmKoza (sales agent Pluto Film) re- post grows into open confrontation only after trage- accelerated model nature of some scenes some- from PubRes, when she talks about how a film might leased into Slovak distribution in autumn 2015, dy in the family; it is not the result of conscious times overruns their completeness and depth, the (dissident) opposition against evil and injustice. identification of the topic with its staging is some- successfully break into foreign distribution: “It de- according to last year’s information rights were Unlike the Hostage (Rukojemník), in The Teacher times replaced by instant realism. Thus, despite finitely has to be a competitive film, you need to sold to Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Serbia, the parents are the hostages of their children as our being grateful for The Teacher, Walking Too have a suitable and experienced sales agent who Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Albania, Koso- they are trying to achieve good grades for them. Fast (Pouta) by Radim Špaček still reigns over the chooses the correct approach to the film and it has vo and The Netherlands. Other countries have li- However, both films have one thing in common, image of the 1980s in Czechoslovakia. y to receive its première at a credible international cences for presenting the film on paid TV or VOD. i.e. the final evasion into a sentimental position, forum, ideally linked with a film project market. Equally, the film dramaThe Teacher (sales agent The Teacher’s success at the Karlovy Vary IFF defi- LevelK) had several cinema distribution contracts which is something of a let-down in The Teacher, k Jan Hřebejk (1967, Praha) esecially in the cheap scene where the astrophysi- nitely helped it to a great extent, whether with refe- concluded last year, in more than twenty countries cist says good-bye to his son at the airport. He studied at the Screenwriting and Dramaturgy Department rence to the interest of audiences, the Best Actress in Europe and Asia, but also in Australia, USA and The imagery of quotidian drabness and mundan- of the Film and TV Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Award (Zuzana Mauréry – editor’s note) or media New Zealand. ity in the film will be familiar to the audiences. The Prague and has collaborated with screenwriter Peter Jarchovský responses, especially positive reviews from abroad.” The animated TV series for children Mimi & Lisa symbiosis of stereotype and breakage created an at- since he was a student. He made his début on the silver screen Co-production can also contribute to the success (sales agent Planet Nemo Animation) by animator tractive epic-dramatic ritual in The Teacher which with the musical Big Beat (Šakalí léta, 1993) which won four of a film abroad. The Slovak-Czech-Polish crime and director Katarína Kerekesová also managed to the filmmakers mastered this time without any su- Czech Lion Awards from the Czech Film and Television Academy. thriller The Red Captain was the best-attended do- get into cinemas beyond the borders of its home perfluous situation descriptions and with a striking Other successful films include:Cosy Dens (Pelíšky, 1999), Divided mestic film in Slovak cinemas last year, but it was country. So far, a block of six short episodes has emotional charge. The director’s narrative is com- We Fall (Musíme si pomáhat, 2000), Pupendo (2003), Up and Down also screened in all three co-production countries. been distributed in France and Belgium. The se- prehensible, illustrative, fulfilled in acting terms, (Horem pádem, 2004), Beauty in Trouble (Kráska v nesnázích, In turn, the existential drama I, Olga Hepnarová ries was dubbed into French which will also be used dynamic, efficiently rhythmised by the skilful edit- 2006), Kawasaki’s Rose (Kawasakiho růže, 2009) and Innocence (sales agent Arizona Films) is a Czech-Polish-Slo- to present it in Luxembourg – it will be a minor dis- ing. The linear unity of place and time is enterpris- (Nevinnost, 2011). vak-French co-production and it was screened in tribution via the Centre National de L’Audiovisuel. all four of the above countries. But there are other “We will see what lies ahead of us, but we definitely The Teacher (Učiteľka, Slovakia/Czech Republic, 2016) countries in play also. “So far, the licence was pro- reckon on the presentation of a further block of _directed by: Jan Hřebejk _script by: Petr Jarchovský _director of photography: Martin Žiaran _edited by: Vladimír Barák vided to France, the USA, United Kingdom, Brazil episodes of Mimi & Lisa in France,” concludes Ka-

24 — 25 24 _music: Michal Novinski _cast: Zuzana Mauréry, Csongor Kassai, Zuzana Konečná, Peter Bebjak, Martin Havelka, Éva Bandor, Tamara Fischer and others _lenght: 102 min. and Ireland and other licences are related to dis- tarína Kerekesová. y A Prominent Patient V photo: Garfield Film marked,” explains Slovak producer Jakub Viktorín also to provide several unexpected surprises for from nutprodukcia. “Tomáš Juríček worked on the the viewer,” adds Jakub Viktorín. film as second unit cinematographer, Martin Točka The Slovak-Czech historical drama A Prominent as Steadicam operator, we used shots of wild ani- Patient is to be shown in the Berlinale Special pro- mals from successful filmmakers from Arolla Film, gramme section. It returns to the 1930s through the there was a film crew in Slovakia – the so-called diplomat and Bohemian, Jan Masaryk. The film was wild unit – that was in charge of shooting the hunts directed by Julius Ševčík, with Karel Roden cast in our territory needed for the atmospheric shots in the title role. “The film, set in a period context, in the film. Recording the film music performed by revolves around events which substantially influ- the Slovak Radio Symphony orchestra was also a enced the emergence of modern Europe. However, Berlinale 2017 very important contribution.” Five countries colla- at the same time, it offers a timeless reflection borated on Spoor as co-producers. “It was neces- on an individual’s responsibility and his conduct sary in order to ensure proper financial, subject- in favour of the state and nation, often at his own -matter and human resources for the production cost. Masaryk was a man experiencing a major of the project. On the one hand, it was great that internal struggle between his sensitive artistic soul a lot of funds were funnelled into the project but, and his sense for responsibility and self-sacrifice to Berlinale with Slovak Films on the other hand, coordinating all five countries the benefit of social targets. And, in this respect, in- proved quite a complicated business,” clarifies Vik- ternational audiences can also understand it well,” g Zuzana Sotáková torín. “For my part, I think that the film’s strength explains producer Rudolf Biermann from IN FILM. lies in the strong, in some ways even provocative, Slovak production is also represented at the While the burly bear sauntered toward Berlin, representatives of Slovak cinema also head- story which raises many questions relating to the Festival by the young animator, Marta Prokopová, ed to the 67th edition of the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival. The drama current problems of our society. Agnieszka men- who will present her project Wild Beasts (Divoké Little Harbour (Piata loď) by director Iveta Grófová will receive its world première there, tions in her interviews that this film could be called bytosti) on the Short Film Station 2017 platform Agnieszka Holland’s Spoor (Pokot/Cez kosti mŕtvych), with participation from Slovakia, is ’No Country for Old Women’ which insinuates so- within the Berlinale Talents. mething about the main character, Janina Duszejko During the Festival, Slovak cinema is presented in the main competition and the Festival is also showing the Slovak-Czech film A Promi- – an outsider who is definitely not one of the quite on the Central European Cinema stand which also nent Patient (Masaryk) directed by Julius Ševčík. typical main characters but who, despite this, ma- serves as a meeting point for film professionals. nages to make you like her. Not to mention that It operates under the aegis of the Slovak Film In- Little Harbour looks at the world of adults through powerful when I read the book for the first time. the film non-traditionally merges several genres, stitute which has prepared the catalogue of Slo- children’s eyes; it will be presented in the Genera- I really liked its atmosphere. After my first full- hence it also works at a certain experimental level. vak Films 16 – 17 and an English edition of Film.sk tion Kplus competition focused on children and length film (Made in Ash/Až do mesta Aš – edi- It manages to not only maintain the suspense for the Festival. y young people. “We thought about showing the film tor’s note), I wanted to make something visually from the initial scenes to the closing credits, but to children’s audiences from the moment we star- interesting. And the world of children offers that,” ted developing it. We don’t embellish anything in says director Iveta Grófová. According to Krnáčová, the film but, at the same time, we aren’t explicit presenting Little Harbour at a prestigious festival either. We look at the things that happen in the is a very good start: “There is a huge film market story through the eyes of the child heroes. And the at the Berlinale so, with a view to the film’s po- difficulty and cruelty of the situations are mellow- tential at other festivals or possible sales to fo- ed to a certain extent when viewed at that naïve reign cinema distribution, it is an ideal place to level,” explains Katarína Krnáčová from Hulapa launch a film. I am very happy that we’ve ma- film, the producer of the film. Ten-year-old Jar- naged to give the film such a chance. And, of course, ka is the main character of the drama, based on it is an important source of satisfaction for the Monika Kompaníková’s novel. Neglected by her three years of work of our entire team.” mother, she is desperately looking for love which The co-production drama Spoor directed by she finds by chance when she walks away from Agnieszka Holland is another film that will receive the train station with a pram with two babies. To- its world première at the Berlinale, and straight gether with her friend Kristián, she creates a child away in the main competition. “Despite entering family in the garden cottage, hidden from the eyes the project quite late and with the smallest co- 26 — 27 26 of adults. “I already thought the story was very production contribution, our participation is quite

Little Harbour V photo: Hulapa film photo: Miro Nôta V After auteur films, here you are with a free adap- dem with screenwriter Marek Leščák, we had long tation of the successful novel She’s a Harbour. discussions as to how to encompass the whole However, you got to know the author of the book, thing. Several versions of the script were made, Monika Kompaníková, thanks to a documentary. in one of which we even included a story that was – First I made a TV documentary about Monika en- not in the book at all. It was as if another story titled The Diary of Monika Kompaníková’s Cruise shedding light on the story had ended up in the (Denník plavby Moniky Kompaníkovej). This pro- book. It reflected what would have happened in

interview ject was initiated and produced by Petr Minařík, a the real world – the main protagonist would have book publisher. It was actually a road movie com- probably been referred to a children’s diagnostic piled from Monika Kompaníková’s book-reading centre. Eventually, we scrapped this idea as social tour. I got a very good feeling from our communi- dimensions of this kind had already been adequa- cation during the tour and I became enthusiastic tely captured in Slovak films. We mostly focused about her book She’s a Harbour. It was just before on the story of ten-year-old Jarka and her younger the première of Made in Ash in Karlovy Vary in friend Kristián and their little adventure. What 2012 and without much further thought I decided they did was a childishly authentic attempt to put to try to make a film based on this book. right the world of adults by pretending to be the family they would like to have. At the same time, What was your main trigger? She’s a Harbour is I inclined more toward psychological themes; for but also isn’t a book for children, which also ma- instance, I consider the motif of transferring an kes it interesting. emotional family trauma from one generation to – There were several reasons but, yes, there is this another generation to be very strong and of sig- inherent contradiction that attracts me. It is an nificant interest. Jarka plucks up the courage to original game played with the reader and I hope, do something with it and she copes with family subsequently, also with the audience. The book has trauma in her own, highly original way. I also con- a very powerful emotional plot capable of readily sulted the script with the experienced psycholo- drawing the readers in and not letting them go up to gist, Zlatica Bartíková. the very last lines. At the same time, I found many layers in it which were also a challenge for me. Those are also reasons why the book and film are Because, on the one hand, we look at the mov- transferrable beyond the borders of Slovakia. ing story of two children who try to take care of It is not just a local theme. babies as best as they can but, on the other hand, – Yes, the theme of family relations from the per- there is an inner tension, a concern for the lives spective of children is quite universal; this pre- of the babies, beneath all this. Balancing between mise is in there. the positive aspect and the inner tension, even fear I Sought drew me to the book. Like several other filmmakers, you also cast non- actors in most of the roles. The main role – little Is it a true adaptation or did the book rather serve Jarka – was played by ten-year-old Vanessa from as a basis? How big is the shift in the film? Bratislava who had absolutely no experience what- Something Poetic – The book has several time levels and it would soever with acting. It must be very demanding g Mariana Jaremková be difficult to capture all of them in a single full- to direct children and you have to have your own length film. At the same time, it is based rather methods of doing it. Director Iveta Grófová made her début with the full-length feature film Made on what the main protagonist is undergoing in- – The most important thing was to find a really ternally than on marked twists in the story-line. talented little girl. Her role required deeper psy- in Ash (Až do mesta Aš, 2012) which the Slovak Film and Television Academy This book was allegedly also used by students of chology in the acting performance and, at the selected as the national candidate for the Academy Awards. Her next film, the the Film and TV School of the Academy of Perform- same time, I looked for a certain spark, a tempera- adaptation of the book Piata loď (She’s a Harbour) was an eagerly anticipated ing Arts in Prague as a screenwriting exercise. I saw ment within her to make the character of Jarka this aspect, that of the demanding basis of the book, interesting for audiences. And I found this girl in new film. It will receive its world première at the 67th Berlin International as something of an advantage right from the start, Vanessa. The most difficult thing was motivating 28 — 29 28 Film Festival. I took it as a challenge that I could bite into. In tan- the children to make them want to shoot the film

g and to make them enjoy it. Once something became – I’m not the kind of director who captivates every- Documentary filmmakers reach for feature ele- routine to them, it wasn’t so easy to figure out how one around them with their charisma when making ments if, for instance, they need to solve a cer- to continue effectively. Of course, making the child a documentary. I tend to allow others to express tain ethical conflict because they can afford to characters credible was a great challenge. We took themselves, to show what they’re made of, and to go much further in a feature film. Is that how a big chance because the main heroine really is in feel natural. Even though I seek out non-comfor- you felt it too? almost every shot and she has to carry the entire table authentic situations for whatever reasons, – I thought it would be like that but it wasn’t. It is interview film. And we also know that adult audiences have I don’t exactly feel like a fish in water in them. But precisely working with children, even if in a fea- difficulties in identifying with a child in the title role. when I know that those people trust me and de- ture film, that has a lot of borderline moments. I tried to do my best to avoid feeling somewhat em- vote all their time to me, then it works. Moral conflicts are linked with work with children, barrassed from the child-acting performance. about how to communicate with them, how to Who formed you mostly in the beginning? motivate them, when to be strict and when to be Monika Kompaníková is a visual artist and you – It was Dušan Hanák in the Documentary Depart- a friend. It is also about experience. Maybe I was originally studied animation at the Academy of ment. It was very important for me to be in his sometimes unnecessarily soft, I should learn to be Performing Arts in Bratislava. Hence, if we speak class. I felt support and it moved me forward. Film more uncompromising in some matters. Paradoxi- about specific visual treatments, weren’t you is a thing of total importance for him and it was cally, it was rather Little Harbour that strength- tempted to also use elements of animated film? good to work in such an atmosphere, especially ened me, not Made in Ash. I think that I’m not so – After Made in Ash I was looking in particular for in a period when you are just trying to do some- tender-hearted any longer (laughter). something nice and artistic. And Monika has that thing and it is not quite clear whether it will be on every page of the book. I didn’t have to stick to good for anything. Documentary filmmakers from Generation 90 the locations that are described in the book to the frequently help each other at various levels. last pebble in the road but, in the end, I shot the Before last year’s Documentary Film Festival in For instance, Ivan Ostrochovský and Robert film primarily in the same places, because they Jihlava we talked with Andrea Slováková about Kirchhoff helped you, while, at the same time, were the most photogenic. And as for animated the fact that female documentary filmmakers you keep on working with Marek Leščák… elements, I explicitly forbade myself these. Essen- are the ones who go into dangerous, controver- – I am certainly grateful to this generation for tially, I rescued the inter-genre filmMade in Ash sial or conflict issues; at least that was what the taking me in. I learned a lot. And now I invite the with animation, because working with authentic festival programme showed. Are women more younger generation to join in collaboration too. people was very lively, a lot had happened during courageous? Little Harbour was made in my production com- the filmmaking and I needed to find a way out to – I am surprised that the boys at the school who pany to which I devote a lot of my time. I’ve been make the film work as a whole. Animation link- had such predispositions did not find the courage able to capitalise on what I’ve learned from ed everything together. Little Harbour (Piata loď) to get into bolder projects. They even moved away others. y is a pure feature film and I think it doesn’t need from documentary and turned to commercials or animated elements. TV series. I think the reason for this lies in their k Iveta Grófová (1980, Trenčín) motivation. That is because the conditions are not So you started with animated film, then you switch- ideal. I even had a semi-mafia story from the Czech- She studied at the Animation Department and Documentary ed to documentary at the Academy of Performing German border as work in progress, but ultimately Department at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. Arts and now you’ve made a feature film. What took only a short film for theSlovakia 2.0 (Slovensko 2.0) Initially she made short documentaries: At Least That Way (Aspoň you away from animated reality to the real one? project was made. As if there was always some- že tak, 2003), The Politics of Quality (Politika kvality, 2005), – I think that I searched for myself for three years thing in the air. When I started working on Made in Goodbye Party (Nazdar partička, 2005), Guest Workers (Gastar- at the Animation Department of the Film and Tele- Ash Slovak films irritated me because they seemed beiteri, 2007) or the short animated filmThere Were 11 of Us vision Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts. to me to be removed from reality. There was a wave (Bolo nás 11, 2004). In 2012, she made her full-length début This also concerns themes that I would like to bring. of lyrical realism at that time and I wanted to dis- with Made in Ash which received its international première at And I found them in documentary film. Paradoxi- rupt it, to make my film in an absolutely different the IFF Karlovy Vary – it opened the East of the West section cally, then I was again attracted to animated film way. Paradoxically, other films made in this way at the festival. In 2014, she participated in the omnibus film which I combined with documentary. If I were now followed after my film. Now, they are the waves. project Slovakia 2.0 for which she made the short filmDisco- to find a theme requiring animated form, I would Now we are going to have more films with a child fight (Discoboj). try to create an animated film. hero. Of course, this is also related to the number of films made in our country – three films made about What kind of director are you when you make children are enough to have this fact pointed out. 30 — 31 a documentary?

V photo: Miro Nôta Advice to Filmmakers, topic Support for Audiovisual topic Educating Young Audiences Industry in Slovakia g Daniel Bernát, Zuzana Sotáková, Monika Mikušová Slovakia collaborates on several international workshops and training programmes for authors of g Daniel Bernát audiovisual works. Below, we provide brief information on at least some of them. At the same time, Support for Audiovisual Industry is a programme launched by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund in autumn we indicate the current state of film education for children and young people. 2014 with the aim of inducing interest in making audiovisual works in Slovakia, supporting the Several international workshops are (at least in part) The Visegrad Animation Forum (VAF) focuses on development of infrastructure of the Slovak audiovisual industry and increasing its international organised in Slovakia and they deal not only with animated production within the V4 countries; the competitiveness. Modifications to its basic conditions are currently under consideration. the various phases of work with film, but also with event culminates each May at the Anifilm Interna- various types of projects. The MIDPOINT programme tional Festival of Animated Films in Třeboň, Czech The main idea of the programme is that, if the pro- vakia – Consider Yourself and Maestro which have focuses on the development stage. Last autumn, Republic, and it is co-organised by the Slovak As- ducer invests at least 2 million Euro in Slovakia in been registered in tandem. The first film is a bio- the MIDPOINT TV Launch workshop was organised sociation of Animated Film Producers. making the work, he may be retrospectively granted graphy of the author of musicals, Lionel Bart and, in Banská Štiavnica; it focused on the development The above events are primarily intended for film a sum of up to 20 percent of the eligible costs. Seve- for instance, Geoffrey Rush was mentioned as pos- of TV series that aspire to be of high quality or have professionals or students of film schools, but how ral productions, predominantly foreign projects, sibly being cast in the film. The second project a more artistic aim. This programme is intended for does audiovisual education of students of primary have expressed their interest in this programme should illustrate the stirring fate of Eduard Keller, teams of screenwriters and producers and it is di- and secondary schools fare in Slovakia? The range to date. In 2015 the first to be registered was the the Viennese piano virtuoso. rected at Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans of projects in this context is gradually extending, second season of the well-known series Marco Polo After the Support for Audiovisual Industry pro- and the Baltic countries. In 2017, the event will con- but an overall film or media education concept is produced by The Weinstein Company, for which the gramme was launched, Slovak producers objected tinue with further phases at the Finále Plzeň Film still lacking within the education system. That is why Slovak Audiovisual Fund has already disbursed the that the condition to invest a minimum of 2 million Festival in the Czech Republic and at the Sarajevo teachers of the Audiovisual Studies Department at grant. (Funds are only earmarked once informa- Euro is too high a demand and excludes domestic Film Festival. Another workshop from the MID- the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava have tion on the amount actually invested in the pro- productions from applying. In this respect, the Direc- POINT programme, Intensive SK, was also orga- prepared a motivational project – Film Education ject is confirmed.) Last year four titles were added tor of the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, Martin Šmatlák, nised in Banská Štiavnica in November 2016 when for Secondary School Teachers and Students. In to the list. According to the information from the stated that the Ministry of Culture is the one mak- scripts of full-length feature and animated films addition to lectures for secondary schools, a ma- Slovak Ministry of Culture, the American company ing decisions on the above condition, because all were analysed. jor component is a film education handbook for Lionsgate has expressed interest in making the ad- the basic conditions of the programme are deter- The DOK.Incubator workshop is directed toward secondary school teachers. venture filmRobin Hood: Origins in Slovakia under mined by legislation, not the internal regulations documentary filmmakers. It aims to assist its parti- The civil association Boiler is behind several ac- British director Otto Bathurst. The cast of the film of the Fund. cipants with their projects at several levels, includ- tivities within alternative and informal education for includes such actors as Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx Last year, the Ministry of Culture addressed this ing preparation of an adequate distribution strategy young audiences. Its members familiarise second- and Eve Hewson. Two television projects have also issue and announced amendments in the basic and investigating possibilities for finding a place for ary school students with Slovak cinema by means been registered. The co-production two-part his- setting of the programme. “We seek to attain a level the work in the international context. Last July one of interactive lectures with film excerpts. torical filmMaria Theresia to be made by director affording us a higher degree of flexibility for the of the three workshops was organised in Slovakia The popular-educational series about the history Robert Dornhelm will capture the life of the Aus- entry of non-state investments in film production in Smolenice; it should take place here again this of cinema, The Film Cabinet, organised by the Slo- tro-Hungarian monarch. Slovak public service TV in Slovakia,” declared the Ministry in August 2016, coming summer. vak Film Institute in collaboration with the Associ- (RTVS) has already enlisted in the project, Slovak stating that its ambition is to increase the attrac- In Bratislava last year, internationally renowned ation of Slovak Film Clubs, consists of screenings filmmakers are to collaborate in its making and tiveness of the programme for both foreign and filmmakers Agnieszka Holland, Fridrik Thór Frid- with lecturer introductions and discussions with part of the film could be made this year in Bratisla- domestic filmmakers. In January this year, when riksson and other prominent guests shared their the filmmakers; it is intended both for students va. The second project is Inspector Max (Inšpektor the English edition of Film.sk was completed, this experience with participants of the networking and and the general public. In turn, the Film Cabinet Max) produced by Trigon Production, a Slovak pro- process had not yet been concluded. “The Ministry educational event, Visegrad Film Forum (VFF). The for Children is intended for pupils of grades 1 to duction company, in collaboration with RTVS and of Culture is currently dealing with this issue; we an- event is held at the Film and Television Faculty of the 5 of primary schools and their teachers; it allows Czech Television. ticipate that the support for the audiovisual indus- Academy of Performing Arts and works by students the youngest audiences to view the world of ani- In addition, the Ministry of Culture also referred to try will be amended in the first quarter of 2017.” y of film schools from the Visegrad Four countries mated film by means of screenings and captivat- interest expressed by the British company Fourth are also presented there. This year the VFF will be ing lectures. y 32 — 33 Culture Films in making two feature films in Slo- held on 25-29 April. Kidnapping V photo: JMB Fillm & TV Production Festival. This year it was also presented at the Line (Čiara). After last year’s presentations within Trieste Film Festival and its distribution première the industry programmes of several festivals, his is planned for the end of March. new film should be finished and released this year. The mid-length Hotel Sunrise (Hotel Úsvit) by The story is set on the Slovak-Ukrainian border young filmmaker Mária Rumanová is a success where the daughter of the head of organised crime, of Slovak documentary filmmaking; it received its Adam Krajňák, marries the local thief, Ivor. How-

new films première in November 2016 at the International ever, Adam has to deal with his Ukrainian partner Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). Jona who is beginning to rebel and, moreover, a new However, it would be misleading to refer to Hotel type of goods appears on the border – narcotics. Sunrise as a pure documentary. In her film, Ruma- This year also Nina should be released in cine- nová depicts the small town of Čierna nad Tisou mas – another view of the world of adults from a in Eastern Slovakia. It used to be regarded as the child’s perspective. Nina is eleven years old and golden gate of socialism, but today it is just a smug- the life she had known previously is falling apart. gling one-horse town on the Slovak-Ukrainian She does not understand her parents and their In the Sign border. Four protagonists alternate in visually im- decisions, she feels lonely and deceived. Her only pressive shots – they strive to escape the endless certainties are swimming and childhood dreams. round of peripheral stagnation and life experience The film was made by director Juraj Lehotský, who that brings them down, equipped mainly with the also made Blind Loves (Slepé lásky, 2008), a film of Dynamics yearning for a bit of happiness. successful at festivals which received several in- g Zuzana Sotáková The full-length drama Filthy (Špina) by young ternational awards. director Tereza Nvotová dealing with the issue of As for Slovak minority co-productions, for instan- Last year brought not only a genre variability into Slovak cinema but also several suc- growing up and rape, received its international ce, Ice Mother (Bába z ledu/Baba z ľadu) directed première at the International Film Festival Rotter- by Bohdan Sláma should be released, as well as cesses at festivals and for some films also a place in foreign cinema distribution. dam (Bright Future section) at the turn of January the final project by Jan Němec – a significant Czech The current year promises titles that could well continue in this trend. and February. It is the story of a sensitive girl who filmmaker, a representative of the Czechoslovak has to face up to her trauma, while the one who new wave of the 1960s, who passed away last year – A film drama inspired by the much-praised book Roden, a Czech actor with international experi- caused it wins the love of all her loved ones. The Wolf from Royal Vineyard Street (Vlk z Krá- by Monika Kompaníková Little Harbour (Piata loď) ence, plays the title role. The new film by world-renowned filmmaker Ag- lovských Vinohrad), Little Crusader (Křižáček/Kri- will be presented at the prestigious Berlin Inter- The much anticipated genre films include the nieszka Holland Spoor (Pokot/Cez kosti mŕtvych) žiačik) by Václav Kadrnka who attracted with his national Film Festival. In this film, director Iveta thriller Kidnapping (Únos) directed by Mariana represents one of the most interesting co-pro- previous filmEighty Letters (Osmdesát dopisů, Grófová focuses on the world of children which, Čengel Solčanská which is set in the wild 1990s ductions. An atypical heroine – an elderly animal 2011) and Freedom (Freiheit/Sloboda) by German in many aspects, is far from carefree. Little Jarka just like The Red Captain (Červený kapitán, dir. protector, Janina Duszejko, who lives alone in the director Jan Speckenbach. Also two well-known – the main hero of Little Harbour – has problems Michal Kollár). Kidnapping revolves around crimes Klodzko Valley, where a series of mysterious crimes Czech filmmakers have new films: Jan Svěrák will mainly arising from the unstable and emotionally in which the state and its branches of power played are committed within a short time, takes the lead present the result of his further collaboration with cold family background, which is why she “plays” a significant role. The protagonists of the story in this Polish-Czech-German-Slovak-Swedish his father Zdeněk Svěrák Barefoot on Stalks (Po str- mother herself when she abducts two babies un- become entangled in a net of events which in some drama based on Olga Tokarczuk’s novel. Janina ništi bos/Po strnisku bosý), and Jan Hřebejk, who der strange circumstances and decides to take cases result in destroyed lives. The film with the is convinced that she knows the perpetrator, but made The Teacher (Učiteľka) in Slovakia last year, care of them in a garden cottage. Grófová’s film tagline “To learn the truth always means to for- no one believes her. Spoor will receive its première is preparing the film trilogyGarden Store (Zahrad- will have its Slovak distribution première in March. feit illusions” talks about the political morass of in the main competition of the Berlinale and it will nictví/Záhradníctvo) in a Slovak co-production. In the same month, the biography A Prominent the first years of Slovakia’s independence and it be released in Slovak cinemas in April. All that is just a selection of the films planned for Patient (Masaryk) will be presented to audiences; will be distributed in cinemas at the beginning As for this year’s other premières, let us not omit distribution; in reality, the 2017 cinema year in Slo- it also has been allocated a place in the Berlin Film of March. the thriller by one of the most productive Slovak vakia should be even more lively and diverse. y Festival programme. The Slovak-Czech co-produc- The full-length documentary A Hole in the Head film and television directors, Peter Bebjak,The tion directed by Julius Ševčík takes note of the fates (Diera v hlave) by renowned director Robert Kirch- of the official, diplomat and Bohemian Jan Masaryk hoff features the racial persecution of the Roma in whose death remains shrouded in mystery. A bril- Central Europe during World War II. The essayis- liant orator and bon-vivant, he also had his dark tic fresco, made without using archive materials, side and his escape from responsibility, his col- was presented last year at the DOK Leipzig festival 34 — 35 leagues and himself also gets into the story. Karel and at the Jihlava International Documentary Film

Filthy V photo: BFILM

ney were sought, professional associations were se with the SFI’s National Film Archive. Last year, established and are still being established, they are Marián Hausner became the director of this main New Management seeking out methods of joint communication and organisational unit of the SFI for audiovisual heri- collaboration, some of them are even opening up tage. In performing basic tasks related to the care more to the international environment. Unfortuna- of collections and funds consisting mainly of cine- tely, in my view, film festivals which I see as being matographic and other audiovisual works, but also topic of the Film Centre an important part of the film environment in the materials in written and graphical forms, et alia, international context are not growing in Slovakia; related to their production, distribution, archiving we have not yet managed to create an event that and reflection, the NFA can base its work on legis- would attract more attention in the international lation and priority projects which are long-term. and the Film Archive world.” “Preservation starts with acquisition which was g Daniel Bernát Alexandra Strelková knows very well that the de- systematically determined by the Audiovisual Act manding work in the NCC is not for everyone; never- (Act No. 343/2007). This Act defined the deposition The organisational structure of the Slovak Film Institute (SFI) consists of National Film theless, she defends this work as beautiful and in obligation and acquisition activities and these have Archive (NFA), the core unit in the area of audiovisual heritage protection and restoration, evaluating the period spent within the Institute as continued in force in the current Audiovisual Act and the National Cinematographic Centre (NCC) as the core unit for public access to well as the development of Slovak cinema, she sta- (Act No. 40/2015),” explains Marián Hausner. He tes: “I definitely consider the time and development continues: “Filmographic activities and the cata- the audiovisual heritage and current cinema. Recently, both of the units have gotten as positive; indeed, we have managed to achieve loguing of collections and funds form part of the new managers. and progress in so many things! I’ve experienced SK CINEMA Information System Project implement- Slovak films in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, ed since 2002. The databases and knowledge of For years, you could have met Alexandra Strelková, films.” Understandably, this did not prove to be easy. Rotterdam… Beautiful premières of restored films, Slovak cinema are available via the film portal at the Director of SFI’s NCC, at world film festivals, “The establishment of the NCC meant a huge in- Slovak films receiving awards, films sold abroad… www.skcinema.sk. Film conservation and restora- showcases, film markets and other events, includ- crease in work but the working team was not ex- I quite immodestly think that the NCC contributed tion form the main parts of the Systematic Resto- ing the priority presentations at the European Film tended, hence it was necessary to adopt a certain to this progress and to rendering Slovak cinema ration of the Slovak Audiovisual Heritage Project Market in Berlin and the Marché du Film in Cannes. system and to gradually make it work. That requir- more visible and I hope that our environment per- adopted by the Slovak Government in 2006. Films Strelková was NCC Director from 2005, but last year ed time and intensive communication and the col- ceives this in the same way. And I definitely regard are currently treated in the film laboratories in Zlín. she decided to leave this position and the SFI intro- laboration of many people. And also the necessary as positive that steadily more and more things are The film heritage was successfully digitised and duces Rastislav Steranka as her successor at the funding.” Consequently, in 2009 the SFI started im- happening in Slovakia even without the active in- digitally restored within the Digital Audiovision na- current film market in Berlin. plementing the project titled “Presentation of Slovak volvement of the SFI. The ground is created.” tional project in 2011 to 2015 and now the project There are several departments under this organi- Cinema and Audiovisual Art Abroad”, with financial Alexandra Strelková’s successor says that he has is in its sustainability phase. In 2014, a top-level sational unit of the Slovak Film Institute: the Film support from the Slovak Ministry of Culture. taken over the NCC and its team in an excellent sha- digitisation workplace was built in the SFI within Events Department, the Audiovisual Information Strelková started out as NCC Director at a time pe. “I just jumped onto a well-functioning express the project.” All the a.m. projects also create the Centre, the Publications Department, which also when the current Slovak cinema was not in the best train. That is why I have great respect for this im- conditions for access to the audiovisual heritage. covers the staff of this magazine. When Alexandra condition; however, this situation gradually changed portant position,” states the current film centre’s This is, for instance, achieved by means of services Strelková started working for the SFI, the NCC was and improved in several aspects. “The gradual open- director Rastislav Steranka who didn’t enter an al- provided by the individual NFA departments, SFI’s a newly created unit within the Institute. “In part, ing up to the world was equally new for Slovak together unknown environment, as he previously publication activities or screenings in Cinema Lu- I was familiar with the activities of film centres from filmmakers; they also had to learn how to function worked in the Creative Europe Desk (CED) Slovakia, mière, especially within its programming compo- Karlovy Vary where I previously worked as the Fes- in this new reality – to get used to travelling more, also an independent unit within the SFI. “Without nent, the Filmothèque, which presents cinemato- tival’s liaison with European Film Promotion within to networking, learning languages, understanding my previous experience in the CED Slovakia office, graphic works in the SFI’s study screening room on the Variety Critics’ Choice project. So I started out by that you have to make an earlier start on work- I would not even dare to take up the position of SFI’s 35mm copies, largely from NFA collections. “As re- thoroughly studying EFP members and I thought ing with the film internationally, not just after the NCC Director with a remit for the promotion of Slo- gards film events, colleagues from the NCC perform that the NCC must be one of them,” Strelková re- Slovak première of the film, taking into account vak cinema. The years previously spent in the EU invaluable work as they focus on the presentation calls the first initiatives that she succeeded in per- that promotion costs something and merits expert MEDIA programme and the related travelling to of not only contemporary Slovak films but also forming one year later when the SFI was accepted attention, and so on. This is where we strove and European film festivals, markets or industry events those that have already become a part of the au- as a member of EFP at the Berlinale 2006. “After are still striving to help the most,” says Strelková have shown me not only how the entire film promo- diovisual heritage,” concludes Marián Hausner, my first trips to Cannes and Karlovy Vary, having and continues her account: “At the same time, the tion process works, but also the actual internatio- Director of the NFA. y “scanned” the field, I started to prepare plans in two environment as such was gradually created in Slo- nal festivals and platforms for film professionals.” areas – how to keep pace with the EFP partners and vakia and is still being formed and standardised, The NCC collaborates in the organisation of events ( in collaboration with Alexandra Strelková ) 36 — 37 36 how to extend the presentation of the SFI’s archive a suitable model for funding films, sources of mo- not only with its external partners, but also of cour- Through the History of Film,

Both on Paper and Digitally PROFILE g Zuzana Sotáková

The extensive publication History of Slovak Cinematography 1896 – 1969 (Dejiny slo- venskej kinematografie 1896 – 1969) is already available to readers. The Slovak Film Institute (SFI) had a part in its publishing. The SFI also plans to extend the collection of Blu-rays and DVDs issued.

The Head of the SFI’s Publications Department Ma- I Like (Všetko čo mám rád, dir. M. Šulík), Paper Heads rián Brázda designated the History of Slovak Cinema- (Papierové hlavy, dir. D. Hanák), The Power of Good We Have the Year of Kubal tography by Václav Macek and Jelena Paštéková as – Nicholas Winton (Sila ľudskosti – Nicholas Winton, g Rudolf Urc the key project of recent years and Peter Dubecký, dir. M. Mináč), Blind Loves (Slepé lásky, dir. J. Le- Director of the SFI, confirmed this. “This is a project hotský) and Soul at Peace (Pokoj v duši, dir. V. Balko). It is twenty years since the legend of Slovak animation, Viktor Kubal, passed away. The Slovak Film which took six years and the result will, hopefully, “Both of these key activities required a huge effort Institute has issued a calendar for 2017 dedicated to Kubal’s works and it is also preparing a 3-part be acceptable not only to experts but also to the from the Publications Department and the entire Blu-ray collection with his animated films – including two full-length filmsBrigand ( Jurko/Zbojník

PUBLICATION ACTIVITIES OF THE SFI general public. We hope to issue the second volume Institute. All departments played a part in them – in Jurko and The Bloody Lady/Krvavá pani). in 2018 or 2019.” The current first volume of the addition to the Publications Department, the Docu- History of Slovak Cinematography is divided into mentation Department and the Archive also, as Kubal (1923 – 1997) is one of the most prominent A substantial portion of Kubal’s filmography con- six chapters defined by years: 1896 – 1918 (An At- the films in the collection were restored and digit- personalities of national cinematography. He be- sists of fairy-tales for children, solo stories and se- traction in Each City), 1919 – 1938 (Slovak Film on ised,” stated the General Director of the SFI. While came the founder of Slovak animated film with his ries of stories with little heroes (Peter/Peter, Puf and the Horizon), 1939 – 1948 (We Have Feature Film), the ten Blu-rays referred to above served primarily The Well of Love (Studňa lásky) released in 1944 Muf/Puf a Muf, Valibuk/Valibuk, Dita/Dita) beloved 1949 – 1955 (Building Utopia and Retouching), for the presentation of Slovak cinema abroad, the and, even though he had to suspend his film career by several generations of children. Two full-length 1956 – 1962 (Thaw), 1963 – 1969 (Film Ripples). SFI recently issued two more Blu-rays, Lady Winter for the following twenty years, his experience as an animated films based on historical stories represent As regards digital media, last year the 10 Blu-ray (Perinbaba, dir. J. Jakubisko) and The Fountain for illustrator and caricaturist rendered it possible for the pinnacle of his oeuvre: Brigand Jurko (1976) with collection Slovak Film (Slovenský film) took prece- Suzanne (Fontána pre Zuzanu , dir. D. Rapoš) which him to return to film in the 1960s with an admira- the legendary folk hero – brigand Jánošík as the dence; this was issued within the SK PRES project did not serve this purpose; however, these two films ble series of animated black-outs for the cinema main protagonist, and The Bloody Lady (1980) about on the occasion of the Slovak Presidency of the Coun- are among the most popular in Slovakia. journal (Mr. Homo/Pán Homo). Here he demon- Countess Báthory who allegedly bathed in the blood cil of the European Union. “The collection was put This year, the SFI will issue further films on Blu-ray. strated his feeling for a humorous even satirical of young girls. Both works attracted interest with together over four years in collaboration with the The main project will be a three-part collection de- perception of social phenomena which marked the their unique parodic content and satirical flogging. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Cul- voted to the extensive works of the legend of Slo- whole of his subsequent animated production. In Viktor Kubal excelled with an incredible breadth ture. I consider it a presentation of Slovak audiovi- vak animated film, Viktor Kubal, who you can read Earth (Zem) he expresses critical views of environ- of interests – from working for newspapers and sion at the highest level. The selection included five about on the following page. In addition, a DVD with mental issues. He mocks human stupidity (Selec- writing books, from performing in cabarets and significant Slovak films with copyrights held by the Miloslav Luther’s Forget Mozart (Zabudnite na Mozar- tion/Selekcia), careerism (The Ladder/ Rebrík), cor- talk-shows to acting in films. And he wrote, directed SFI, and we succeeded in concluding agreements ta) will be sold and two SFI co-production projects ruption (The Present/Prezent), red tape (High Noon/ and animated all the more than two hundred films with independent producers and also presenting are in preparation: the 2-DVD Magical World of Ani- Na pravé poludnie), nepotism (The Only Child/Je- that he made. World cinema has known very few five films made after 1989,” explained Dubecký. The mated Film (Čarovný svet animovaného filmu) and dináčik), the unhealthy business environment (Ci- such universally talented filmmakers. first five films in the collection wereThe Sun in a Net the 5-DVD documentary series The First (Prvá). nema/Kino) and many other suspect phenomena His works contain elements of comedy and trage- (Slnko v sieti, dir. Š. Uher), The Boxer and Death As for publications, Marián Brázda referred e.g. to in human relations. This is where he applies the dy, irony and good-hearted humour, buffoonery (Boxer a smrť, dir. P. Solan), Birdies, Orphans and the title in preparation Invisible History (Neviditeľné temperament of an experienced caricaturist, the and fairy-tales. Master Kubal purveyed all this in Fools (Vtáčkovia, siroty a blázni, dir. J. Jakubisko), dejiny) from the publicist, screenwriter, dramaturge precise structure of the story and burlesque ani- spades – i.e. with the whole of his multi-faceted I Love, You Love (Ja milujem, ty miluješ, dir. D. Hanák) and director, Rudolf Urc. In his text he will provide mation game. In Chess (Šach) and Idol (Idol) he talent. y and A Path Across the Danube (Chodník cez Dunaj, information on a number of documentary filmma- touches upon the fundamental questions of human 38 — 39 dir. M. Luther); the other five films wereEverything kers with whom he collaborated. y existence in an unfree, totalitarian society.

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1968/Okupácia 1968). For the first time, a Slo- Sun in a Net vak entity received support for TV broadcasting of 145,000 Euro (Fool Moon with The Websters/ National Film Awards Websterovci); Slovak production companies re- ceived altogether 335,000 Euro. Distributors have The Sun in a Net National Film Awards granted traditionally received the largest amount of sup- by the Slovak Film and Television Academy (SFTA) port – 67,100 Euro within the Distribution – Selec- were dominated last year by Eva Nová, the feature tive Support scheme and a record 403,090 Euro début by documentary filmmaker Marko Škop. This within the Distribution – Automatic Support scheme. drama about an ageing actress, who became an Three Slovak companies formed part of consor-

FROM FILM EVENTS alcoholic, became alienated from her family and tia supported within the Support of Audience De- now wants to get close again, won the Award not velopment and Support of Training Programmes only for Best Feature Film but also for Directing, schemes. The total support for Slovak entities Script, Best Actress (Emília Vášáryová) and Best amounted to a record 880,397 Euro within the Actor (Milan Ondrík). So Far, So Near (Tak ďaleko, MEDIA sub-programme and, together with indi- tak blízko, dir. J. Vojtek) became the Best Documen- rect support within the Europa Cinemas network tary and Fongopolis (dir. J. Kożuch) won out of the (154,023 Euro), it amounted to 1,034,420 Euro, which animated films. Altogether, the SFTA gave awards is the best result since the Slovak Republic became in thirteen categories and also declared director a Member State of the MEDIA programme.

Juraj Jakubisko and cinematographer Igor Luther C to be holders of the Sun in a Net Award for excep- M tional contributions to Slovak cinema. The Sun in a Net Awards date back to 2004 and formerly were Slovak Films with Y

awarded once in every two years. However, from CM now on they will be awarded every year in con- Eurimages Support nection with the screening of domestic cinema – MY

Slovak Film Week. The awards will be presented Last year, the Council of Europe’s cinematographic CY at a ceremony on 7 April. fund also supported several Slovak co-production CMY projects. Most of the funds – 280,000 Euro – went to Jan Švankmajer’s full-length filmThe Insects K (Hmyz) in a participation of the Slovak company MEDIA Was Generous PubRes with the Czech partner Athanor. The Slo- vak-Russian-Czech project The Cellar (Pivnica) to Slovakia directed by Igor Voloshin was also successful; it CINEMA received 200,000 Euro and Furia Film is its Slovak OF THE SLOVAK Last year Slovak entities received support amount- producer. The Czech-Slovak-Polish filmGarden FILM INSTITUTE ing to 273,224 Euro within the Creative Europe sup- Store: Deserter (Zahradnictví: Dezertér/Záhrad- ŠPITÁLSKA UL. 4 port programme in the Culture sub-programme níctvo: Dezertér) with the participation of the Slo- BRATISLAVA and 1,034,420 Euro in the MEDIA sub-programme. vak company SOKOL KOLLAR was successful also. Production companies were exceptionally success- This is the second part of the planned trilogy di- ful last year in the MEDIA sub-programme – they rected by Jan Hřebejk and the film received support received a total of 190,000 Euro in the Support for of 132,000 Euro. Eurimages approved 170,000 Euro Development of Single Projects scheme; of that, for the Czech-Danish-Italian-Slovak filmBarefoot 60,000 Euro was for a single animated film (BFILM on Stalks (Po strništi bos/Po strnisku bosý) made with Heart of a Tower/Srdce veže), 80,000 Euro by the renowned director, Jan Svěrák. Slovakia is for two feature films (D. N. A. withMessage /Správa represented in the co-production project by the and HITCHHIKER Cinema with Waiting/Čakanie), NOVINSKI production company. and 50,000 Euro for two documentaries (atelier. www.kino-lumiere.sk 40 doc with Dubček, Peter Kerekes with Occupation 2017 www.filmsk.sk SPECIAL EDITION OF THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE ON SLOVAK CINEMA INSTITUTE THESLOVAK FILM g INTERVIEW g g g REVIEWS

WE INTRODUCE 2016 INSLOVAK FILM Iveta Grófová The Teacher A HoleintheHead 5 October