The Small Big Game

Martin Vadas / Czech Republic / 2013 / 86 min.

synopsis

From 1974 – 77 the film Vysoká hra (High Level Game) was shot at Czechoslovak Television by orders of the highest echelons of the Communist Party. Junior cameraman Martin Vadas worked on the film as a focus puller, without ever knowing anything about the film itself. Later he was surprised to recognize his images when they were broadcast, when they had been combined with inflammatory commentary about the activities of Western intelligence headquarters. In his documentary, Martin Vadas investigates the circumstances surrounding the creation of Vysoká hra, analyzing the individual participants’ conflicts with power and their own fears.