Known for Acting
A look at the life, work and importance of Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman (1910-89), a genius of world cinema, a wizard of special effects, revealing his sources of inspiration and his revolutionary filming techniques.
Prague, Czechoslovakia, during the inter-war period. Jan Dítě, a young and clever waiter who wants to become a millionaire, comes to the conclusion that to achieve his ambitious goal he must be diligent, listen and observe as much as he can, be always discreet and use what he learns to his own advantage; but the turbulent tides of history will continually stand in his way.
Not all kingdoms are the same. When King Alfonso wants to have an heir in the kingdom of men, he finds himself in a tricky situation. But a ruler is a ruler because he can deal with tense moments decisively. And so, with the generous support of the invisible fairy godmother, Alfonso chooses his bride after all. However, this causes the atmosphere in the kingdom to become tense, and the advisors Lakabus and Kakabus impatiently await the first disaster. It is not long in coming. A girl is born in the powerful kingdom of men.
Detective Weiner probes the death of Tomáš Ruml, found in a ruined house. Son of the architect behind a planned gypsy-quarter demolition, Tomáš seems a revenge victim, until Weiner meets Naha and uncovers Tomáš’ blackmail, rape and theft. Guided by baron Tancos, he must rethink the case from a new angle.
Sunday in September 1977, a celebration of the Miners Day. The old Hepnar is sitting at the cemetery and is recalling events from ten years ago. That time the representative of the ministry Barvír announced at the miners meeting that mining in the mines would decrease. He reasoned this decision by the fact the deposits of coal are almost used up. The boss of the mine and most of the miners protested. Barvír did not take their critical objections into account. He announced at the communist district meeting the closure of the business as the mine according to new economic principles did not prosper.
First movie of the famous Czech adventure trilogy: Osada Havranů Na veliké rece Volání rodu, based on the works of Eduard Štorch and directed by Jan Schmidt. Each of the films is a completely separate and self-contained story, although they are all connected by some characters and, of course, by time - five thousand years ago. The story of the Ravenpiercer, a young hero from the Stone Age, is shrouded in mystery - for he was brought there by a swollen river. He was fished out of the waves by a young hunter, Sokol, and adopted by the Raven village. The fate of the boy from his childhood through his desire to become a hunter, through the many disappointments that await him among the adults, to the founding of a new family - this is the plot thread connecting the individual parts.
The plot begins in the Soviet Union showing first efforts to establish the Czechoslovak legion in 1942. The film also shows the assassination of Heydrich and the subsequent annihilation of Lidice. The main topis of the film is battles with German troops for Sokolovo.
A modern fairy tale that takes place in the present.
