24-11-2008

Renc film opens in Prague

By Radovan Holub
    Filip Renc's remake of a 1937 film based on a Czech psychological suspense novel, Guard No. 47 opens November 27 in Czech cinemas in 25 prints.

    The film stars Karel Roden, Vladimir Dlouhy, and rising young star Lucia Siposova. The story based on Josef Kopta's 1926 novel, concerns the fate of a man returning from war in hopes of restoring balance to his life.

    The expressive novel was turned into a film in 1937 by director Josef Rovensky based on a script by Otakar Vavra. Renc rewrote another unfilmed Czech TV script together with Zdenek Zelenka. Renc said they wrote a rougher version for a younger audience.

    Public broadcaster Czech TV undertook complete financing of the film and is its sole producer, a rare situation for Czech productions. The film was shot in 35 mm Cinemascope format for 1.2 million euro (CZK 30 million).

    "There have been only few times when Czech Television made a film solely on its own," producer Jaroslav Kucera told FNE. "Hanele by Karel Kachyna in 1999 was such an instance. We decided to make a film as sole producer from time to time if the subject is important enough and the resulting film would not be very expensive and not too commercial. We intend to do this only once or twice a year."

    Associate Czech Television producer Vaclav Myslik added, "We wanted to prove that Czech Television is able to make a theatrical film for a modest of money and with good results. The film was realized in hi-tech quality in demanding conditions in both autumn and winter time in outdoor locations partly in Prague and outside of Prague, without a studio shoot." Czech Television has not yet determined the film's future on the festival circuit.