12-05-2008

Bathory begins promotional campaign push

By Irena Zemanova

    Slovak director Juraj Jakubisko's latest film, historical thriller Bathory, has launched its international pr campaign prior to its premiere at the Karlovy Vary film festival on July 5.

    Jakubisko introduced his video of the film's theme song, "Oh My God," in the Czech Republic on May 5. The song is already in the number one spot on the music charts in Slovakia.

    British actress Anna Friel stars in the title role as the Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a legend in Slovakia for her ghoulish tendencies. The Czech/Slovak/Hungarian/British co-production is the most expensive to originate in Central Europe, with a budget of €11 million. Release of the film was postponed several times due to post-production problems with the sound editing.

    The international cast includes some 120 speaking roles and 2,000 extras. The original soundtrack is in English, but the film will also be released in Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian.