Czech Television Documentaries

In the 1980s, dozens of Namibian children were brought up in socialist Czechoslovakia. The aim of this special education program was to raise a new generation of children as a politically conscious elite. But the experiment ended in the early 1990s following fundamental political changes in both countries. The children were forcibly repatriated back to Namibia where they were unable to adapt culturally due to never having completed their elementary education nor receiving any formal language and psychological training. Documentary filmmakers tracked down the now-adult Namibian children and followed their fates both in Namibia and in the Czech Republic over the course of three years.“No one has the right to take away their childhood and crush their dreams. No matter the time period, country, culture, or ideology in which it happens – it's just plain criminal.”

The story behind the Beatles is well known to some, but not many people know the story of Dezider “Dezzo” Hoffmann. As fate had it, their lives crossed paths at the best possible time. The Beatles were at the brink of global stardom while Dezzo was fifty years old – an age when many people consider retiring from the biz. But the Beatles’ energy, spirit, and joy of life wholly inspired him. He felt younger next to them and was suddenly bursting with new ideas. So he decided to devote his time to what he knew best – photography. He took more photos of the Beatles than anyone else in history and recorded all the major events of their dazzling career. But the Beatles weren't the only ones he captured on camera. His photos of other famous celebrities have also become iconic and full of life, spontaneity, and movement.

Eduard Štorch (1878–1956) was the first writer in the Czech lands and in the world to set his stories in prehistoric times. It’s quite ironic that he himself considered his books set in the Stone Age and Bronze Age to be mere accessories to his main life calling as a professional teacher. Another profession that Štorch took up was archaeology. An unusual finding at a sewer excavation site prompted Štorch to write his most famous work: The Mammoth Hunter, which has been released in over twenty editions and sold over half a million copies. The book was published at least ten times in German and even translated into Japanese.

The life story of an unassuming, modest, yet extremely principled woman is also a dramatic portrait of a time when criticism of the regime and defense of the unjustly prosecuted was punished by imprisonment and constant surveillance from the secret state security. The story also reflects the turning point after the Velvet Revolution, when Dana Němcová briefly entered politics as an active member of the Federal Assembly, or when, in response to the war in the former Yugoslavia, she founded a counselling center for refugees and refugee women in the Czech Republic. In the film, she also meets some of those she helped again after many years.

Marek “Mara” Holeček is one of the most noted mountain climbers of our time, both in the Czech Republic and worldwide. He is known for climbing atop the highest mountains, high enough to touch the sky, all without oxygen and in a demanding Alpine style. His extreme approach to mountain climbing and life brings him great success, but also many problems. The film Mara Goes to Heaven follows his five attempts at the first ascent atop the challenging mountain of Gasherbrum I, located in the Karakoram Mountain Range in Pakistan. We catch sight of the surroundings through the eyes of Mara Holeček and those around him as well as through the eyes of those who wait to see if they will make it back alive. The successful expedition ended up being his fifth attempt, but the film also follows the unsuccessful attempts before it that ended in tragedy. During those first four attempts, Mara lost several toes to frostbite and also lost a friend and a fellow climber who both fell to their deaths right in front of him from a height of thousands of feet.

The title of this documentary about Michael Kocáb alone suggests that art and politics will collide onscreen. Although this cinematic portrayal focuses primarily on the artistic pursuits of the protagonist — who reminisces with slight improvisation his years at the conservatoire and his performances with his band Pražský výběr — the film also maps his political and personal milestones and conveys his current world views and personal reflections on historical and political events. The documentary is playful and spontaneous and features dynamic shots with rock music that has stood the test of time.“For me, music is my life, my family. The founding of the “Bridge” initiative and everything I did during the Velvet Revolution has become an accomplished goal for me and something I could have only dared to dream of many years ago. And, of course, to me, freedom and truth are the highest virtues. And dignity. We are all born with the same right to human dignity and respect.”

Czech gay males and lesbians were already advocating for their rights in the First Republic (1918–1938). In 1961, the criminalization of homosexuality was abolished. Following this milestone, however, the issue remained a grey area within the context of progressive European legislation and was never discussed.One of four episodes of the Orgasm Chronicle filmed for Czech Television's online iVysílání segment.

In the 1970s, following the example of American scientists Masters and Johnson, Czech psychologist Stanislav Kratochvíl introduced sexual therapy at his workplace – the psychiatric hospital in Kroměříž. He has had tremendous success with his therapy and has helped hundreds of couples from all over Czechoslovakia.One of four episodes of the Orgasm Chronicle filmed for Czech Television's online iVysílání segment.

In the early women's rights movement, Czechoslovakia didn't fare so badly at all. Women were allowed to vote from 1920. In the 1950s, gender equality was even promoted by the socialist regime. But a “top-down” approach to women's emancipation had unintended consequences, including a decline in the birth rate, which the state decided to reverse. One of four episodes of the Orgasm Chronicle filmed for Czech Television's online iVysílání segment.

In the 1950s, Czechoslovak sexologists endeavored to investigate a phenomenon whose significance and meaning was eluded by science – the female orgasm.One of four episodes of the Orgasm Chronicle filmed for Czech Television's online iVysílání segment.

Everyone in the Czech Republic knows the Czech music legend Peneři strýčka Homeboye or PSH. But what are Orion, Vladimir 518 and Mike Trafik, guys on the verge of middle age, really like today? The creation of the groundbreaking album “Repertoire”, still considered a milestone of Czech rap and one of the best albums ever, the shift to electronic music, and testing the boundaries of the music business and themselves are the foundations of this film about the band. They won fans with their authenticity, wit, and hard work, and continue to stay on top thanks to their love of music and inseparable friendship. The most famous Czech rappers are not afraid to get down to the nitty-gritty in this surprisingly candid and very personal documentary.

A collage of influences, spoken sentences, deeds, traces, and appearances of the Brno poet and prose writer Jan Skácel. Contemporary cultural figures regard the author as a social and cultural phenomenon. The directors of this documentary, on the other hand, decided to treat Jan Skácel as a subject of literary and social history, whose role in the cluster of regime and cultural events is unwavering and often – nowadays – glorified or otherwise embellished. In the film, they attempt to distance themselves from the established ideas about Jan Skácel and, at the same time, from past interpretations of Jan Skácel’s work. Instead, they interpret him through their own series of images.

The year 2022 marks the 70th anniversary of one of the most extensive, infamous trials in post-war Czechoslovakia. Fourteen accused communist functionaries stood before the Supreme Court in Prague. Among them was Otto Šling. The court sentenced eleven to death, forfeiture of property, and loss of honorary civil rights. All defendants waived their right to appeal. Karel Šling is the last direct descendant of all eleven executed. Even at 75, he doesn't give a happy and composed impression. He is still dealing with traumas that he had and could not have had any influence over.

For years, everyone thought Michal was just a junkie. It was only in his therapeutic community that he was found to have a dual diagnosis: a comorbidity of untreated, psychiatric illness bottled up and exacerbated by his chronic drug addiction. A long journey of detoxing, treatment, and long-stay rehab sets him free.

She first cut herself when she was 13 and did so countless times after that. What drives young people to self-harm and what can be done to protect them from it? Unique testimonies in a film by Zuzana Kirchnerová, shot for the authorial docuseries Soul Care, describes how people with mental health problems feel and how their diagnoses are seen by experts.

The popularity of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage continues to grow. Four Czech pilgrimage stories also inspired a new pilgrim, who has just embarked on his long journey. He steps out of his comfort zone to not only discover the magic of the pilgrimage, but also to find himself. When a pilgrim meets a pilgrim on the way to Santiago de Compostela, their first question is clear: “Where are you coming from?” Because every step counts. This is evidenced by four pilgrims’ stories: Kvakin, who came from Boskovice; Olga, who managed her own pilgrimage at an older age; Mario, whose journey summoned him on its own accord; and Peter, who was paralyzed in half his body but got up from his wheelchair and hit the road. We also follow the pilgrimage of Kamil Bartošek, better known as the entertainer and mystifier Kazma Kazmitch.

Emil Skamene has written more than 250 scientific publications, won dozens of distinguished awards, and was even on the verge of winning the Nobel Prize. He is the founder of the Institute for Clinical Research at McGill University in Montreal, a member of the Czech Learned Society, and a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. Not so long ago, he discovered that he was someone completely different – he had devoted his whole life to unlocking the secrets of genes, and yet he had been unaware of his own identity for decades. His life was a history that changed the whole of Europe and the world. His story is full of unbelievable and completely absurd situations that can only happen in real life.“In my many years in the field of documentary filmmaking, I’ve encountered hundreds of human stories. Some were mundane and ordinary; others were full of twists and variety. One literally took my breath away. The story of a top scientist who has devoted his entire professional life to the mystery of genes, yet for years he did not know his own genes. He didn't know his real identity.” — Alena Činčerová---Source: web Cinemart

Petr Nikl is a founding member of the Tvrdohlaví (Hard Headed) art group. He is an intermedia artist with classical roots who freely and convincingly expresses himself through traditional art techniques and original books, interactive projects, and improvisational events based on performance, theatre, and music. He won the Jindřich Chalupecký Award in 1995, is a multiple winner of the Best Book Award, and received the Golden Angel Award in the Alternative Music category in 2005. Petr Nikl looks back on his life and his career and gives an imaginary vision of where his path will lead in the future.

The documentary reveals the dramatic story of an unconventional artist of Czech origin whose views were ahead of her time. Toyen, a brave woman with an unresolved sexual identity, spent part of her life in France. A close friend of André Breton, she consistently maintained absolute creative freedom, even at the cost of a life of poverty. Now the works of the most famous surrealist are selling for astronomical sums. We learn more about Toyen through the memories of friends, unique film footage, and numerous photographs.

The four adult heroes and heroines of the film, who were selected in a casting call posted on TV, speak candidly on camera from the very beginning of their memories. Through individual stories, they describe their childhoods, family backgrounds, life at school, and how they spent their free time. The stories complement each other and are intertwined; we see emotions and hear things that reveal the horrific DNA of domestic violence. The documentary addresses the issue of abuse with an emphasis on the entire social environment of the victims and the societal underpinnings. Typical of domestic violence is that victims often hide it within themselves; they do not talk about it, and sometimes they do not even admit it. But in the documentary, they were determined to speak out.

This is the story of the Bohemian King, Přemysl Otakar II, and the forgotten pilgrim, Odorik, who was the first-ever European to set eyes on Tibet. This medieval road movie brings an unconventional view to these two great figures of Czech medieval history. While the character of Odorik, regarded as the “Bohemian Marco Polo,” is practically unknown to us, the Bohemian King Přemysl Otakar II is either demonized or dismissed by the traditional clichés of the “Iron and Golden King.” In a private conversational format, the film’s author gives us a glimpse of this medieval world, set nearly 700 years apart from our modern context. But nothing has been lost in terms of this world’s impact or relevance, for both Odorik and Přemysl have outlived their time. Their lives are surprisingly endearing and touch on many of our current feelings.

Amidst today’s urban jungle of concrete, glass and metal, it is easy to forget that we actually live in the territory formerly dominated by wildlife. Many of its members have been exterminated by humans, while others have fled the sprawling urbanization to the surrounding countryside. It is their survival strategies that get revealed in exciting detail in the documentary series, Planet Czechia. For two years, a team of camera operators headed by Jan Hošek were recording a life cycle of Prague’s wild animal world across all seasons of the year. The film, accompanied by the commentary read by the actor Jiří Macháček, registers everyday struggles of the fat dormouse, the mouflon, blackbirds or the water hen, teaching the viewers in a casual manner a higher degree of tolerance toward the city’s overlooked inhabitants.“The aim of Planet Prague is to inspire its viewers to discover the stories of our close animal neighbours that are mostly overlooked. At the same time, we would like to motivate people to embrace a larger responsibility toward nature not only in Prague, but in all cities, and to keep up its diversity.” — Jan Hošek---Source: https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/film-rezisera-planeta-praha-doprovazi-stejnojmenna-kniha/2235708