The Violin Knight

Colour, BETA SP
Czech Republic, 2006, 52 min
Section: Documentary Films - Out of Competition

Synopsis

This playful and highly authentic portrait of young Romany violin virtuoso Marek Balog, to a backdrop of wild rhythms from a gipsy orchestra and poignant violin solos, offers an extremely unconventional, yet all the more valuable insight into the Romany mentality and way of thinking.

About the director

Pavel Marek (b. 1963, India) founded Bulšitfilm in 1986 with Roman Včelák, he graduated from the Czech University of Technology in 1988, in 1992 he received a grant to study at the National Film and Television School in London, and he graduated from FAMU in 1998. Apart from a number of documentary films, his filmography also includes the award-winning shorts Tutor to Fear (Vychovatel ke strachu, 1989, 1st prize at the National Amateur Film Competition in 1989; Gold Medal at the Uničov Young Camera Festival in 1989; 1st prize at the UNICA festival in Baden Baden in 1991) and Harvest (Sklizeň, 1992, Audience Prize at the FAMU festival in 1992, 1st prize at the Interfilm festival in Berlin, 1995), and the feature film Dead Beetle (Mrtvej brouk, 1998 – Rotterdam IFF in 1998, Volkskrant Critics’ Prize; Sochi IFF, 1998 – Special Jury Prize – the highest prize awarded; Těrlice Film Summer – Main Prize and Audience Prize; Main Prize at the Avance IFF in Portugal).