Born in Prague, Czech Republic in 1953. She graduated in documentary filmmaking from Prague's Film Academy (FAMU) with Piemule (1984), the first part of the Ruthenian trilogy that captures the unique lives and customs of people unknown to most of the world. Jakub (1991) is a revealing study of Rutherenians who live in remote mountains. The last film of the trilogy, Old Believers (2001) documents a strongly religious community where time seems to stand still. She has made a number of other films too, most recently The Rite of Spring (2002) about the acclaimed Butoh artist and performer Min Tanaka, or Gyumri (2008) - shot in Armenia in the course of three years, this documentary tells a powerful story of families whose lives were heavily affected by the earthquake in 1988. From the very beginning of her film career Sevcikova has worked independently, receiving financial assistance from the State Fund of the Czech Republic for the Support and Development of Czech Cinematography and the Ministry of Culture. Her exquisite, poetic films are usually shot over a period of two to five years. They continue to receive great critical recognition, collect prizes at film festivals all around the world and captivate audience with their intense yet subtle imagery.
Czech Republic