Archive of films Poets Never Lose Hope / Jak básníci neztrácejí naději

Czech Republic
2004, 115 min

Section: Czech Films 2003-2004
Year: 2004

They’ve aged a little more, but kept their sense of humour, their dreams and (fortunately) their reason for living. The legendary “poets” return to the screen for the fifth time, this time after an eleven-year interval, in a poetic comedy of the present day.

Synopsis

The legendary “poets” return to the screen for the fifth time after an eleven-year interval. They’ve aged a little but kept their sense of humour, their dreams and their reason for living. The mother of the lead, Štěpán, has died and his relationship with his girlfriend Ute has grown stale over the years and is slowly dying. His mate Kendy is getting divorced and seeks asylum with Štěpán. Moreover, Štěpán’s dream of private practice has faded away, so he travels with an ambulance as doctor. But the eternal romantic Štěpán and the shrewd Kendy bear their lack of success in life with humour and always enjoy a practical joke. There is a new love on the horizon – meeting pharmacist Anička makes some changes in Štěpán’s previous life. He and Ute make a definitive break, but because of a misunderstanding Anička disappears from his life as well. Štěpán is pressed into the vacant post of director of the local hospital, but his attempt to save it fails and our hero returns to the work which is meaningful for him – to the ambulance. Thanks to this he finds a route again to the lost Anička… In this poetic socially-minded comedy, which like the earlier works has its sights on the abuses of contemporary times, we meet well-known characters, are again delighted by new quips, and by the music and songs of Jaroslav Uhlíř. Adolf Born’s animated sequences add a finishing touch.

About the director

Dušan Klein (b. 1939, Michalovce) graduated in direction from Prague’s Film Academy (FAMU) in 1963. In the second half of the 1960s he devoted himself to television, and from the beginning of the 1970s made spy, detective and criminal dramas in the Barrandov Film Studios. He had an outstanding success in the 1980s with his “Poet” comedies. After 1989 he made films and productions for Czech Television, achieving particular success with the ten-part comic detective series “The Sins of Father Knox”, broadcast live with audience participation and a competition. He also teaches. His filmography includes: One of them is the Murderer (1970), The Mystery of the Golden Buddha (1973), The City Knows Nothing (1975), Bet on Thirteen (1977), How the World is Losing Poets (1982), How Poets are Losing their Illusions (1984), How Poets are Enjoying their Lives (1987), Good Pigeons Return (1988), Yes, Dear Friends (1989), The End of Poets in Bohemia… (1993), Angelic Eyes (1994), Konto separato (1997). With the fifth part of the series, Poets Never Lose Hope, Dušan Klein returns to feature films.

Contacts

Bio Illusion
Baarova 43/27, 140 00, Praha 4
Czech Republic
Tel: +420 272 650 336
Fax: +420 222 710 753
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.bioillusion.com

Eurocine
33, ave. des Champs-Elysées, 750 08, Paris
France
Tel: +33 1 422 564 92
Fax: +33 1 422 573 38
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.eurocine.net

Falcon a.s.
Radlická 1c/3185, 150 00, Praha 5
Czech Republic
Tel: +420 224 422 222
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.falcon.cz

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About the film

Color, 35 mm
International premiere

Section:	Czech Films 2003-2004

Director:	Dušan Klein
Screenplay:	Ladislav Pecháček
Dir. of Photography:	Petr Beňa
Music:	Jaroslav Uhlíř
Editor:	Jan Svoboda
Producer:	Miloslav Šmídmajer
Production:	BIO ILUSION / PLUTO film and video
Cast:	Pavel Kříž, Michaela Badinková, David Matásek, Tereza Brodská, Jana Hlaváčová, Josef Somr, Lukáš Vaculík, Adiana Sklenaříková-Karembeu
Contact:	Bio Illusion, Eurocine, Falcon a.s.

Guests

Václav Šašek

Screenwriter

Miloslav Šmídmajer

Producer

Dušan Klein

Film Director