Abnormalization:
Scenes from the Czech New Wave
July
16 -19
Our
series revisiting the Czech New Wave includes among its highlights,
classic works by Milos Forman, Karel Kachyna, Jan Svankmajer
and what we believe may be the first ever Philadelphia screening
of the horror fantasy masterpiece Valerie and Her Week of
Wonders. We conclude our series with a free afternoon
of classic short subjects introduced by master animator Paul
Fierlinger, who will also present a number of his own award
winning films.
Wednesday,
July 16 ~ 8:00pm
The
Fireman’s Ball
dir.
Milos Forman, Czechoslovakia, 1967, 35mm, 74 mins, color, Czech
w/ English subtitles
 The
Fireman's Ball was banned "permanently and forever"
by
the Communists in Czechoslovakia, as it was said to be a veiled
attack on the Soviet system and its bureaucracy. Telling a seductively
mild and humorous story about a retirement fete for an elderly
fireman, the movie pokes fun at citizens' committees, the culture
of thievery, and solutions that surrender
to
problems.
Thursday,
July 17 ~ 8:00pm
The
Ear
dir.
Karel Kachyna, Czechoslovakia, 1967, 35mm, 94 mins, b/w, Czech
w/ English subtitles
 Shot
as the period of “Normalization” began its repressive stranglehold
on Czech film production, Karel Kachyna's daring political noir-drama
The Ear was withheld from circulation immediately upon
completion. A complex and multifaceted marital relationship
is at the very center of The Ear’s concerns, which
serves as an allegory for the complex relationship between a
ruthless, oppressive political regime and its justifiably paranoid
populace.
with
Oratorio For Prague
dir.
Jan Nemec, Czechoslovakia, 1968, video, 26 mins, b/w, Czech
w/ English narration
Oratorio
For Prague is the only filmed record of the Soviet invasion
of Czechoslovakia. When the raw footage was broadcast on television
and seen by more than 600 million people, it became the first
information that the Soviet Army had not been "invited"
in.
Friday,
July 18 ~ 8:00pm
Valerie
and Her Week of Wonders dir.
Jaromil Jires, Czechoslovakia, 1970, 16mm, 77 mins, color, Czech
w/ English subtitles
 When
a 13-year-old girl crosses the threshold into womanhood,her
life unfolds as a gothic saga of vampires, witchcraft,
and mysticism. Rich in imagination, color, and textures, this
remarkable film has been described as
“a Jodorowsky/Bergman co-production of a Grimm’s fairytale.”
with
The Flat
dir.
Jan Svankmajer, Czechoslovakia, 1968, 16mm, 15 mins, b/w, Czech
w/ English subtitles
Svankmajer’s
nightmarish Kafkaesque vision in which a young man
is
trapped without hope of release in a dilapidated room. The symbolism
is
obvious but effective nonetheless, Svankmajer using startling
special
effects photography to convey his prisoner's desperate attempts at escape.
$6.00
general admission, $5.00 I House members, students and seniors
Saturday,
July 19 ~ 1:00pm
Special
Free Event!
An
afternoon with animator Paul Fierlinger
In
a career that has spanned more than 40-years, Paul Fierlinger
has created over 800 animated films which have garnered more
than 200 major international awards. Born in Japan in 1936 to
Czechoslovak diplomat parents, Paul Fierlinger spent World War
II in the United States before living in Communist Czechoslovakia
for 20 years. In 1958, he established himself as Czechoslovakia's
first independent producer of animated films for Prague TV and
produced close to 200 short films before he escaped to Western
Europe in 1967. He came to the United States in the late sixties
and has lived and worked in Philadelphia since 1968. We conclude
our spotlight on the Czech New Wave with an afternoon of classic
short subjects from the period including Ivan Passer’s
A Dull Afternoon (1960) and Jiri Trinka’s political
allegory The Hand (1965). Paul Fierlinger will join
us to introduce the films and to present some of his own recently
completed animated short Still Life with Animated Dog.
For
their invaluable support in presenting this event we wish to
thank Joseph Gervasi, Leonard Guercio and Honorary Czech Consulate
Peter Rafaeli. |
