František Čáp: The Moment of Decision
A portrait of Czech director František Čáp draws a picture of a voluntary refugee and emigré who dedicated his life to film. It is also a story of a person condemned for his collaboration with the Third Reich, later rehabilitated, who voluntarily leaves one totality for another: the hysteria of communism for capitalistic socialism.
František Čáp was never interested in politics or ideology. He never became neither a philosopher nor a demagogue. He himself confessed that different coincidences led him from one film to another and that it was the the times which put him into a particular historical and social context. He was a homosexual living for the film of the past which he himself picked. Most of all, perhaps, he was a director of the most successful Yugoslavian and Slovenian films of all time who never kept his sexual orientation a secret. The history of queer cinematography of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia begin with František Čáp. Many people began realizing it is so back in the 50s of the past century, many people refuse to hear about it even today. A moment of innocence.
František Čáp was never interested in politics or ideology. He never became neither a philosopher nor a demagogue. He himself confessed that different coincidences led him from one film to another and that it was the the times which put him into a particular historical and social context. He was a homosexual living for the film of the past which he himself picked. Most of all, perhaps, he was a director of the most successful Yugoslavian and Slovenian films of all time who never kept his sexual orientation a secret. The history of queer cinematography of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia begin with František Čáp. Many people began realizing it is so back in the 50s of the past century, many people refuse to hear about it even today. A moment of innocence.
Unenchanted Janosik
Juraj Janosik (*1688 - †1713) was a legendary rebel (sort of like Robin Hood), who became a national hero not just in native Slovakia. A serious documentary film about this crucial historical figure has not been shot yet. But recent tendencies try to degrade the character of Juraj Janosik to simple thief and murderer. The authors of the documentary film want to discover the most credible information, subject them to critical perspective and introduce the history of Juraj Janosik to the audience in full scale. Peter Adamov (*1974), musician and folklorist from Zilina, will be the guide in the documentary. He presents an innovative approach in historical research – through “marketplace songs“ with rebel themes (in 18th century these had functioned as kind of tabloids). Excerpts from the rebel songs will be staged as short music videos, shot with old historical costumes and props, Peter Adamov starring as Janosik himself. We also plan to develop a cross-media platform, based also on unused material. An interactive application will provide the visitor to follow Janosik’s life journey, partially even influence it, choose the amount of amount and type of information and interact with other online visitors. Mobile internet will provide access to the application also right in the actual countryside around Terchova (Zilina region), where Janosik lived.
World between Us
Our film is a story of the American dream. A dream shared by many around the world, only a fraction of whom manage to make it happen.
Marie came to America hoping to give her life new meaning. The small town she came from, Mikulov, with its lazy, almost static atmosphere, was no challenge for a young painter. America has been a dream for Czechs for hundreds of years – a dream of fame, success, exoticism, and unlimited opportunities.
New York has been a catalyst for Marie. She changed her artistic field and appearance and broke through in the extremely competitive environment of the New York photography scene. Because she met Thomas. Thomas is an art theorist, a sedentary intellectual, and Marie an active artist, a loose cannon full of restless, lively energy. They complement each other perfectly. Without Thomas, Marie would not have discovered her talent. Without his support, she would not have developed it further. Thomas is Marie's friend, her family, her fixed point in the ever-changing environment of New York.
We follow a three-year phase in the personal and professional lives of Marie and Thomas, partners in work and in life - their passion and obsession for art, their fearlessness to make their vision a reality, and the boundless effort that requires. The film thus becomes a testimony to the moments that shape the young artists' careers, with all the uncertainties and obstacles they must overcome on the way to make their dreams come true.
The film is about a young artist's desire to be accepted in a new place, but also to be recognized in the place she left. Marie no longer feels at home in her native Mikulov, nor does she feel like she belongs in America. The phenomenon of pulling up one’s roots, migrating elsewhere, and finding a new home in a foreign land is a universal theme that we intend to develop in the film.
Marie came to America hoping to give her life new meaning. The small town she came from, Mikulov, with its lazy, almost static atmosphere, was no challenge for a young painter. America has been a dream for Czechs for hundreds of years – a dream of fame, success, exoticism, and unlimited opportunities.
New York has been a catalyst for Marie. She changed her artistic field and appearance and broke through in the extremely competitive environment of the New York photography scene. Because she met Thomas. Thomas is an art theorist, a sedentary intellectual, and Marie an active artist, a loose cannon full of restless, lively energy. They complement each other perfectly. Without Thomas, Marie would not have discovered her talent. Without his support, she would not have developed it further. Thomas is Marie's friend, her family, her fixed point in the ever-changing environment of New York.
We follow a three-year phase in the personal and professional lives of Marie and Thomas, partners in work and in life - their passion and obsession for art, their fearlessness to make their vision a reality, and the boundless effort that requires. The film thus becomes a testimony to the moments that shape the young artists' careers, with all the uncertainties and obstacles they must overcome on the way to make their dreams come true.
The film is about a young artist's desire to be accepted in a new place, but also to be recognized in the place she left. Marie no longer feels at home in her native Mikulov, nor does she feel like she belongs in America. The phenomenon of pulling up one’s roots, migrating elsewhere, and finding a new home in a foreign land is a universal theme that we intend to develop in the film.