05-12-2008

Herz co-production begins filming

By Irena Zemanova
    Director Juraj Herz has started shooting on a Czech/Slovak/Polish co-production, The Dark, in Western Bohemia.

    The gloomy story of a young artist who detects mysterious secrets and dark energy of his childhood home will be released in summer 2009, production company Film Studio Gatteo (www.filmstudiogatteo.cz) announced.

    "I love a depressive and melancholic foggy atmosphere of these exteriors, these old buldings never repaired and cold winter weather are perfect for the movie," Herz said.

    The story also uses the theme of murders of Nazis at the end of World War II. The original screenplay by Martin Nemec received the Milos Havel Foundation Award.

    This year, Herz and Film Studio Gattero producer Roman Synek received a CZK 5 million (195,000 euro) grant from the Czech state fund for support and development of Czech cinematography.

    The international cast includes Czech actress Lenka Krobotova and Czech actors Ivan Franek and Michal Dlouhy, Slovak actor Andrej Hryc, and Polish actress Malgorzata Kozuchowska.