Jaroslav Papoušek is best known as the screenwriter behind some of the greatest films of the Czechoslovak New Wave, including The Firemen’s Ball and Intimate Lighting. But he also stepped behind the camera himself, and his second feature, Ecce Homo Homolka, now belongs to the golden canon of Czech cinema. As such, it has been newly restored – thanks once again to the financial support of the Kučera family.
“They always ask me why I do this. The answer is simple: it makes me happy, it makes the audience happy, and it brings joy to those who worked on the films – or their loved ones – for whom it’s a meaningful memory. Today we’re lucky to have some of the original actors here, which rarely happens with films of this age,” said Eduard Kučera introducing the premier screening.
Among them were twin brothers Matěj and Petr Forman, who played the sons of the main characters in the 1969 film and were present for the occasion. “I say this all the time, and I’m happy to say it again: that film is beautiful because it’s about all of us. Everyone can see themselves in it – there’s a bit of that stereotypical small-minded Czech in all of us,” Petr Forman noted delightedly. “We’ve been doing theatre our whole lives, trying to build a career, and now I realize, especially today, that we reached the peak of our acting careers when we were six.” he added.
