Chase
Animated documentary Chase (Štvanice) brings back memories of the glory of Czechoslovak ice-hockey, players´s achievements, but also dark moments like imprisonment of players in 1950. It follows personal stories as well as transformations in society, politics and culture on the background of hockey. The sport which is linked with the fate of Czechs and Slovaks like no other.
The series is based on authentic testimonies of living hockey witnesses and archive materials. The investigation of history of Czechoslovak hockey by an artist, a hockey layman, is diametrically different than through leaderboards and statistics, taking into account the contemporary social and political context. The animation carefully works with archive photographs and video recordings. It it is not trying to illustrate but to be an equal partner for the audio materials.
What the documentary series is aiming for, is it to change the view of Czechoslovak hockey and contribute to the recognition of sport as part of culture – not as its counterpart. Chase is supposed to highlight the links of these two worlds, sport and cutlture, and their mutual concurrence, as well as to challenge the stereotypical views on hockey, sportsmen and sport in general.
The series is based on authentic testimonies of living hockey witnesses and archive materials. The investigation of history of Czechoslovak hockey by an artist, a hockey layman, is diametrically different than through leaderboards and statistics, taking into account the contemporary social and political context. The animation carefully works with archive photographs and video recordings. It it is not trying to illustrate but to be an equal partner for the audio materials.
What the documentary series is aiming for, is it to change the view of Czechoslovak hockey and contribute to the recognition of sport as part of culture – not as its counterpart. Chase is supposed to highlight the links of these two worlds, sport and cutlture, and their mutual concurrence, as well as to challenge the stereotypical views on hockey, sportsmen and sport in general.