Anniversary KVIFF concludes with awards for Vášáryová, Wright and Binoche

Three honorary awards were presented during the closing ceremony of the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival by KVIFF Executive Director Kryštof Mucha and Artistic Director Karel Och. 

The first honouree of the evening was diplomat, writer and former actress Magda Vášáryová. As she said during her acceptance speech: “I made that enormous list of films – some of them I can hardly remember myself – over the course of 26 years. Then Václav Havel asked me to return to a different world. I’m glad that after 1989 I was able to contribute to the beginning of a new direction in politics.”

“I’m grateful that this festival gave me the opportunity to remember all the wonderful people who surrounded me throughout my career – costume designers, lighting technicians, cinematographers,” she added, reflecting on her years as an actress. She then shared an anecdote about a clash with director Jiří Krejčík and an outburst during which she had berated all Czechs. “In 1971, the communist regime prevented me from completing my Ph.D. in my beloved field of sociology. I did get that Ph.D. eventually, but you don’t have to call me Doctor,” she concluded in her characteristically candid and unsentimental speech as she received the KVIFF President’s Award.

Jeffrey Wright also received the KVIFF President’s Award, returning to the festival 29 years after his first visit. When he came to Karlovy Vary in 1997, he was at the very beginning of his career. Since then, the charismatic American actor has built a remarkable body of work spanning blockbuster productions, acclaimed dramas, independent films, and arthouse cinema.  

“You didn’t have to give me an award – I would have come back anyway. This is my favourite film festival in the world,” Wright said, opening his speech by praising the warm welcome he had received. “I’m honoured to be here and to share this moment with my friends, my goddaughter, and my daughter. Thank you to everyone who makes this festival possible.”

In an emotional speech, he spoke about his friendship with Jiří Bartoška and an unrealised project with Miloš Forman. “At the time, I heard that he was working on a new screenplay – a story that really fascinated me. When I saw Miloš here at KVIFF, I ran over to talk to him about it. It was the story of a young artist who lived passionately and died young. It was the story of Alexander Pushkin. The grandfather of this man, one of the defining voices of Russian literature, was African. There are forces in the world that do everything they can to keep us divided. But our stories, our films, and our history remind us of the opposite.”

Although the film was never made, Jeffrey Wright used it as an example of how people from different parts of the world, with diverse political and cultural backgrounds, can share the same passion and treat one another with respect. “I accept this award as an encouragement to keep working – to keep bringing people together. Because what matters is not what we destroy. It’s what we create,” he concluded, expressing his hope that he would return to the festival with one of his future films.

Juliette Binoche, who presented three films at this year’s festival, added the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema to her collection of acting honours from Berlin, Cannes, and Venice.

“I’ve wanted to come here for a very long time. It means so much to me,” she began, visibly moved. She went on to speak about the power of sincerity and the ability to reveal our humanity and the full range of emotions we experience. In her view, we need to find ways to grow closer to one another. “Our work is a circle, not a pyramid. It represents the feeling that we are all connected,” she continued.

“I also want to acknowledge the countries where artists are not free to express themselves – countries such as Palestine, Lebanon, and Ukraine. We need artists to tell stories, to speak the truth. Passion is at the heart of what we do. As you can see, life passes by so quickly. Let us give ourselves to the world, and let us give ourselves to one another,” Juliette Binoche concluded.