Reminiscence and New Statuette: Michael Douglas Re-Introduces One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Fifty years after its original premiere, audiences in the Grand Hall were captivated by the timeless power of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, presented in a newly restored version that debuted earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival. The screening was introduced by Michael Douglas and Paul Zaentz.

Paul Zaentz, nephew of producer Saul Zaentz, who co-produced the film alongside Michael Douglas, later worked with director Miloš Forman on several other projects. At KVIFF, he paid tribute to Forman’s ability to explore themes of personal freedom, repression, and resistance. “When I showed One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest to the Amadeus crew in Czechoslovakia, the police approached me and asked that I not screen films that were banned here. It’s wonderful that we can watch it together today,” he recalled. Zaentz also touched on current events in the United States, noting that the film’s message might be more relevant now than ever, given the present political climate.

Michael Douglas’s appearance was met with thunderous applause. He shared memories of the film’s early development, recalling how Miloš Forman was chosen as director because he was eager to share his creative vision from the very beginning. Forman meticulously went through the script with the producers, page by page, explaining his approach. “After a series of unsuccessful conversations with other directors, my colleague and I were finally able to hug each other and say, ‘We’ve found our man,’” Douglas recounted. He also praised Forman’s distinctive sense of humour, which never came at the expense of his characters.

Douglas paid tribute to Ken Kesey, the author of the novel on which the film is based, as well as to his father, Kirk Douglas, who had long championed the project. It was Kirk whom Michael persuaded not to sell the film rights, despite several failed attempts to bring the story to the screen. “And so I became a producer,” Douglas concluded.

The Oscar-winning actor was then presented with the Crystal Globe in its current form by KVIFF Executive Director Kryštof Mucha. When Douglas received the award at the festival in 1998, it was still in its earlier, disc-shaped design. In a symbolic gesture – echoing Miloš Forman’s own wish to exchange his original award after the redesign – the festival honoured Douglas with the updated version of the statuette.