Archive of films Polski film / Polski film

Czech Republic / Poland
2012, 113 min

Section: Official Selection - Competition
Year: 2012

"The fact that I’m playing myself doesn’t mean that this is actually me.” Four old school friends, today well-known Czech actors, decided to fulfil a distant dream and make a movie together. In his film about friendship and the absurdities of acting, director Marek Najbrt (Champions, Protector) gives us a witty reflection on the border between reality and fiction, and a unique take on the reality film genre.

Synopsis

"The fact that I’m playing myself doesn’t mean that it’s me.” Four old schoolmates, today well-known Czech actors (Pavel Liška, Tomáš Matonoha, Josef Polášek and Marek Daniel), decide to make a movie together. Their ambitious colleague Jan Budař takes up directing duties and financing has arrived from Poland. What started out pleasantly enough, however, soon goes awry. Liška’s pronunciation difficulties, Daniel’s alter ego Havlát, and Matonoha’s financial machinations turn the shoot into a fight for survival. More than just a film about friendship and the absurdity of actors’ lives, director Marek Najbrt gives us a witty meditation on reality and illusion, and a unique take on the reality film genre. One of Pavel Liška’s on-set comments ("I didn’t know if I should act as if I were acting, or act as if I weren’t acting, or just not act at all”) illustrates the provocative nature of Najbrt’s subversive, quasi-documentary game. Although seemingly improvised, the movie relies on a well-worked script, camerawork strengthened by the impression of authenticity, and a mischievous banjo highlighting the soundtrack by electronic visionaries MIDI LIDI.

About the director

Marek Najbrt (b. 1969, Prague) graduated from Charles University’s Faculty of Social Sciences (1993) and in documentary filmmaking from Prague’s Film Academy (1998). In 1991-98 he wrote and directed a number of non-professional and professional audiovisual projects. His feature debut, the black comedy Champions (2004), was presented in the Karlovy Vary IFF’s main competition, and was awarded three Czech Lions, including Best Film. Najbrt and his co-filmmakers collected seven Czech Film and Television Academy awards for their stylistically precise evocation of the assassination of Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich in Protector (2009), a bitter probe of the dark side of the Czech mentality. Like his older brother Aleš, a graphic and production designer, director Marek occasionally acts as well.

Contacts

Negativ
Ostrovní 30, 110 00, Praha 1
Czech Republic
Tel: +420 777 697 543, +420 224 933 755
Fax: +420 224 933 472
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.negativ.cz

Aerofilms
Milady Horákové 383/79, 170 00, Praha 7
Czech Republic
Tel: +420 224 947 566
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.aerofilms.cz

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About the film

Color, DCP
World premiere

Section:	Official Selection - Competition

Director:	Marek Najbrt
Screenplay:	Robert Geisler, Benjamin Tuček, Marek Najbrt
Dir. of Photography:	Miloslav Holman
Music:	MIDI LIDI
Editor:	Pavel Hrdlička
Producer:	Milan Kuchynka, Grzegorz Madej
Production:	Negativ s.r.o.
Cast:	Pavel Liška, Tomáš Matonoha, Josef Polášek, Marek Daniel, Jan Budař, Jana Plodková, Katarzyna Zawadzka, Krzysztof Czeczot
Contact:	Negativ, Aerofilms
Distributor:	Aerofilms

www:	www.polskifilm.cz