28-09-2008

Institute of Documentary Film presents new projects in Jihlava

By Radovan Holub
    Political topics are grabbing the attention of Czech and filmmakers, as 27 projects prepare to compete for international funding at the Jihlava International Documentary Festival's East European Forum (October 24-29).

    Producer/directing team Vit Klusak and Filip Remunda's Radar how Czech see the danger of international terrorism and how they feel about of US military base in Czech after almost 50 years of soviet occupation in the light of a planned US radar base on Czech soil. Their previous documentary Czech Dream (2005) recorded the Czech public's reaction to their phony marketing campaign for a non-existent supermarket. It matched the success of the leading documentary in the history of Czech cinema, Emmy award-winning The Power of Humanity - Nicholas Winton (2001) by Matej Minac. The film is budgeted at CZK 7.8 million, (300,000 euros), and the premiere planned for May, 2009.

    Olga Spatova's critique on the political establishment Eye Above Prague, a look at the the uproar over a planned new National Library building on the site over Prague.The producer of the 120,000 film is the architect's wife.

    Leading Czech production company Negativ and producer Milan Kuchynak are backing Linda Jablonska's Vacations in the People´s Republic of Korea, which she filmed when invited to the Pyongyang International Film Festival in September. It marks only thee second time since 1989 that Czech tourists were admitted into North Korea.