Dead Rivers

Olga Růžičková / Czechoslovakia / 1956 / The film already had its Czech Premiere / 10 min.

synopsis

Rivers flowing through areas of intensive industrial production are so heavily polluted with toxic substances that life in them is disappearing. Staff at the Water Research Institute in Prague are analysing water samples and proposing suitable solutions, including the construction of modern treatment plants. Mrtvé řeky (Dead Rivers, 1956) is one of the first Czech films to tackle the themes of pollution and environmental protection.

biography

Olga Růžičková (1921–2019) was a documentary filmmaker and pioneer of environmental cinema in Czechoslovakia. She graduated from FAMU during the New Wave period, but worked outside the movement’s mainstream while also holding a full-time job. She took part in the creation of documentary films at the Water Research Institute in Prague and later at Krátký film. She was also one of the founders of the Ekofilm Festival.