06/10/2005

Two films by up and coming Czech filmmakers are in the group of half a dozen premieres in Czech and Slovak cinemas this and next week.

Maria Prochazkova’s debut feature Shark in the Head (“Zralok v hlave”) was released in the Czech Republic in January but it had to wait until October 6th for its Slovak premiere. The film, starring Oldrich Kaiser, Jana Krausová, Kristýna Leichtová and Jiří Lábus, has received good reviews, and it did relatively well in the Czech box office. It is a feel-good drama about a strange man who spends all his day at his window addressing passersby, trying to be funny or witty. Vratislav Šlajer from Bionaut Films is the producer in association with Verbascum a Barrandov Studio. Distribution is handled by Bontonfilm (CZ) ASFK (SVK).

A more anticipated title though is Vladimir Moravek’s Hrubes And Mares Friends Come Rain or Shine (“Hrubes a Mares jsou kamarádi do deste”) which is to open both in the Czech republic and Slovakia October 13th. This is Moravek’s second film after the controversial but unexpectedly successful 2003 comedy Bored in Brno (“Nuda v Brne”). Moravek also wrote the story of friends Hrubes and Mares, who are poor losers but have a dream of becoming famous filmmakers and fall in love. Their chance comes when a half-decent Slovak director arrives in Prague. The film stars Jan Budar, who also co-wrote the script and composed the music, and Richard Krajco, Miroslav Donutil and Iva Janzurová. Hrubes And Mares Friends Come Rain or Shine is produced by Cestmír Kopecký’s První verejnoprávní in co-production with Ateliery Bonton Zlín and Cinemart (Kolya, The City of the Sun) who also distribute the film.

Also released in Czech theatres this week are Thomas Vinterberg’s Dear Wendy and Chris Nahon’s The Empire of the Wolves (“Les Empire des loups”).
In Slovakia other notable premieres this week include Paul Pavlikovsky’s My Summer of Love [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jean-Paul Rougier
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
interview: Tanya Seghatchian
film profile] and Hotel Rwanda [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Don Cheadle
interview: Terry George
film profile] by Terry George.