Armstrong

Vít Olmer / Czechoslovakia / 1965 / The film already had its Czech Premiere / 10 min.

synopsis

A recording of an exclusive interview between the singer J. Laufer and Louis Armstrong on the occasion of the latter’s concert at Lucerna in Prague. It takes place at the International, a prestigious hotel under Communist rule, and the whole interview comes across as awkward and embarrassing, both in the way it was filmed and the nature of the questions asked. The gift from FAMU students – a children’s trumpet – is amusing, while Armstrong’s answers are both spontaneous and cautious. A side effect is the testimony to the awkward attempts by local companies to gain visibility on camera through the gifts they foist upon the singer (Amati Kraslice, Plzeňský Prazdroj), as well as the official nature of his visit (departure in a Tatra 613 for a tour of Prague Castle). A documentary exercise by second-year students of the Department of Documentary Film.

biography

Vít Olmer (1942) is a popular actor and director. He graduated in acting from DAMU in 1964 and in directing from FAMU in 1968. While at FAMU, he also directed the films Štěstí (Happiness, 1966) and Houslista (The Violinist, 1969); he became famous for the films Takže ahoj (So Bye-Bye, 1970), Co je vám, doktore? (What's Up Doc?, 1984), Bony a klid (Bony and Peace, 1987) and Tankový prapor (The Tank Battalion, 1991). His documentary Občané s erbem (Citizens with a Coat of Arms, 1966), about Czech aristocrats under communism, was particularly significant.