You are cordially invited to a movie night! Come and remember one of the most important works of Czech cinema - the film Ostře sledované vlaky/ Closely Watched Trains by Jiří Menzel, winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (1967).
Synopsys
The legendary adaptation of a novella by Bohumil Hrabal tells the coming-of-age story of the young and inexperienced Miloš Hrma, serving as a station guard in central Bohemia at the close of the Second World War. Rather than taking an interest in the impending collapse of Nazi Germany, the timid young man focuses his attentions on women – as he seeks to lose his virginity and become a man. The lovely conductor Máša becomes the target of his efforts. Miloš’s colleagues, the station chief and dispatcher, may be opposed in spirit to the Nazi occupation, but given the tough penalties for resistance, choose to focus instead on day-to-day personal affairs. But among the duties of the railway staff is the requirement that they pay special attention to “closely watched trains” carrying armaments to the front. Ultimately, even Miloš ends up faced by a moment in which he has to partake in the “bigger” historical picture
Jiří Menzel
23. 2. 1938 -5. 9. 2020
Jiří Menzel is one of the most famous Czech film and theatre directors, however he also worked as a theatre and film actor. He studied film direction at the Prague film school FAMU from 1958 to 1962, in the period that brought a complete new generation of artists referred to as the “Czech New Wave”. His graduation film was ‘Our Mr. Foerster Died‘. A short story The Death of Mr. Baltazar, a part of the film ‘Pearls of the Deep‘ was his first commercial work. He appeared as an actor in some of his and also in films by other Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Austrian and French directors. He gained the Golden Medal at the IFF in Virgin Island, USA for acting in Chytilová’s film ‘The Apple Game‘ in 1977. He also played one of the main roles in Costa Gavras’s film ‘La Petite Apocalypse‘.
Jiří Menzel was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAAS), a founding member of the European Film Academy and the Czech Film and TV Academy. In from 1990 to 1992 he was the head of the Department of Direction of the Prague film school FAMU. He gave lectures to American students of film schools who came to Prague for study stays. He was the head of the Studio 89, a division of Short Film Prague until 1998 and was appointed President of the ALFA TV Council (the First Foundation for Central and Eastern European Cooperation). He was the art director of Vinohrady Theatre from 2000 to the end of March 2003.
Jiří Menzel’s memories were published as ‘Capricious Years‘ in 2013. ‘Don Juans‘ is Menzel’s latest film.
Photo (c) NFA
