The Funfair Has Arrived

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1973

Production year

1973

Premiere

15 November 1974

Runtime

77 min

Category

film

Genre

children, musical

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Přijela k nám pouť

Czech title

Přijela k nám pouť

English title

The Funfair Has Arrived

Summary

A funfair or a football match with the boys from a neighbouring village – these are always important events in a village child’s life, and it is around these occasions that this classic picture from seasoned director Věra Plívová-Šimková is centred. It is the siblings Žaneta and Janek that are the catalyst for the action in this 1973 release, one of the most popular children’s films of the 1970s. After they arrive in the village along with the showmen, Žaneta gets herself embroiled in a quarrel after failing to return a scrapbook to local girl Markéta. The scrapbook contains the last drawings of Markéta's beloved grandpa, drawn before he passed away. Janek, meanwhile, also gets into trouble, but through no fault of his own. His exceptional football skills – thanks to which Bystré’s team wins every match – make him the target of attacks carried out by boys from the neighbouring village of Skuhrov. The boys decide to lure him into the forest and imprison him in a cave. Although Přijela k nám pouť (The Funfair has Arrived) marks the beginning of a long string of optimistic films typical of the “normalisation” era (the period saw the restoration of the firm communist-imposed conditions that prevailed before the 1960s reforms led by Alexander Dubček), it still offers a rawer depiction of the world of children; it amounts to an echo of the more realistic perspectives offered by cinema during the sixties in Czechoslovakia. Žaneta bears the pain of never having known her mother and the quarrels she experiences with other children are at times more akin to episodes of brutal bullying. Overall, however, this film exudes a positive atmosphere that overcomes all of its shadows. The merry-go-round and the meadow teeming with butterflies help the stars to forget about a reality that is full of contradictions. The longstanding popularity of this motion picture is also down to its host of catchy songs – co-written by Czech songwriter Petr Skoumal, who also composed the score. Another important aspect of this film is the cast, which performs so naturally. The then 20-year-old Libuše Šafránková plays the teacher (the film also offers a glimpse of her sister Miroslava who appears as a girl passing by at the funfair). It is Libuše who so famously performs in the title role of the acclaimed family drama and fantasy picture Tři oříšky pro Popelku (Three Nuts for Cinderella). Children's parts are also taken by talented newcomers, including Yvetta Kornová, Zuzana Bydžovská, Marek Vašut and Miroslav Vladyka.

Synopsis

Children from the village Bystrá are awaiting a nice and thrilling weekend. On Saturday they will play the championship football match with the nonresident boys from the village Skuhrov, on Sunday there will be the funfair with merry-go-round, swings and stalls with dainties. The members of the family of the merry-go-round man are brother and sister Janek and Žaneta Mareks whom the children have known since the last year. At that time Žaneta made friends with girls and Janek, an excellent football player, has been a welcome support of the football club. A year ago Žaneta's greatest girlfriend was Markéta. But now Markéta is avoiding her. Namely, Žaneta has not returned her the album with the last drawings of Markéta's grandfather. The Skuhrov boys know that they will lose the match if Janek plays for Bystrá. Therefore they employ their captain's sister who manages to allure Janek in a cave. Here the boys block up the exit. In the village nobody knows what has become of Janek. The match is opening; Markéta is watching that their team is losing. She prefers running away and at home she learns that Žaneta has returned her the album. Before they become friends again she has to take to her grandmother to Skuhrov the cakes. On the way she sets free Janek and for the eaten cakes she gains twenty rides on the merry-go-round free. The children from Bystrá suppose that Janek has betrayed them and therefore they proclaim boycott of the funfair. Punishment for its breaking is throwing down to the muddy pond. It overtakes Markéta as well, and in addition, the boys cut her beautiful long hair, however, Markéta makes fun of everything. She has got again Žaneta's friendship and knows why her girlfriend has kept the album: Tony of the merry-go-round has drawn there the face of mother whom Žaneta has never got to know.

Note

The author of the protrait in the album is Věra Plívová-Šimková.

Film online

Cast

Yvetta Kornová

Žaneta Marková

Renáta Kolářová

Nanynka

Jana Kubátová

Růžena

Dana Šindlíková

Bětka

Roman Čada

Janek, Žanetin bratr

Luděk Šnajdar

Černoočko

Marek Vašut

kapitán skuhrovských fotbalistů

Milan Bakeš

brankář Pepek Sejkora

Marek Červinka

Bohouš

Jiří Ducháč

kluk spojka

Luděk Kučera

Filípek

Karel Aušprunk

Hubeňour

Vladimír Krigl

brankář Véna

Jan Dvořák (2)

Piňďa

Václav Vydra

vojáček

Zdena Hadrbolcová

Markétina maminka

Roman Skamene

Kvído, Jankův bratr

Václav Kotva

Markétin dědeček

Josef Hlinomaz

strýc Emílek

Karel Augusta

otec Sejkora

Petr Skarke

strýc Otík

Miloslav Štibich

Markétin tatínek

Karel Dellapina

strýc Julius

Dana Francová

teta Hela

Milan Navrátil (2)

Ferdásek

Milan Dufek

táta ze Skuhrova

Antonín Hájek

táta ze Skuhrova

Jan Vančura

táta ze Skuhrova

Jiří Veisser

táta ze Skuhrova

Jan Vodňanský

táta ze Skuhrova

Miroslav Řihošek

táta ze Skuhrova

Miroslav Hradil

fotbalista ze Skuhrova

Petr Jansa

fotbalista ze Skuhrova

Libor Kočí

fotbalista ze Skuhrova

Václav Krajíček

fotbalista ze Skuhrova

Petr Pavlas (2)

fotbalista ze Skuhrova

Petr Starý

fotbalista ze Skuhrova

Petr Táborský

fotbalista ze Skuhrova

Zdeněk Tesař

fotbalista ze Skuhrova

Martin Zelenka

fotbalista ze Skuhrova

Adolf Nacházel

příbuzný

Ondra Kohoutová

dívka na pouti

René Michalička

Voice by Petr Skarke
fotbalový rozhodčí

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Drahomíra Králová

Assistant Director

Jiří Potsch, Václav Křístek

Director of Photography

Andrej Barla

Second Unit Photography

Pavel Dosoudil

Camera Operator

Stanislav Šťastný

Production Designer

Boris Moravec

Assistent Production Designer

Vladimír Labský

Set Designer

Ivo Černý, Miloš Osvald, Jiří Rulík

Costume Designer

Theodor Pištěk ml.

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek

Sound Designer

Adolf Nacházel

Production Manager

Vladimír Vojta

Unit Production Manager

Hana Beattie, Ivo Pitrák

Unit Production Manager

Zlatava Rumlová

Cooperation

Lidmila Eybergerová (klapka), Jaromír Komárek (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Petr Skoumal

Choreographer

Ema Šlechtová

Songs

Hádej, hádej, hadači

Josefina

Song Composer Jan Spálený
Writer of Lyrics Boris Janíček
Singer Petr Spálený

Šťastný prám

Song Composer Viktor Sodoma
Writer of Lyrics František Ringo Čech
Singer Viktor Sodoma

Hej, hej počkej!

Song Composer Viktor Sodoma
Writer of Lyrics František Ringo Čech
Singer Viktor Sodoma

Jak slunce, když se dává krůpějím

Singer Petr Spálený

Žluťásku, žluťásku

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Rok je rok

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Provaz napnu

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Tma je jako v ranci

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Kolik už jen zažila jsem poutí

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Hele, Pelé

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Vezmi mě za ruku

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Směj a raduj se, počtáři

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Není květ jako květ

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Černoočko, krásnoočko

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartetZdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Bystrá

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Ta malá se sama točí

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Co ví Žaneta o mé pouti

Song Composer Petr Skoumal
Writer of Lyrics Jan Vodňanský
Singer Zdenka LorencováJitka ValentováYvetta KornováMonika HálováJiří FrancLucie Kociánováskupina Plavciskupina Inkognito kvartet

Production info

Original Title

Přijela k nám pouť

Czech Title

Přijela k nám pouť

English Title

The Funfair Has Arrived

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

children, musical

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1973

Production Year

1973

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 23 January 1973
start of filming 1 March 1973
technical Screenplay approved 17 May 1973
end of filming 20 November 1973
projection approval 29 November 1973

Premiere

gala premiere 26 April 1974 (Jičín)
premiere 15 November 1974 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 23 January 1975 /suitable for youths/ (kino Kyjev, Praha)

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina filmů pro děti a mládež, Ota Hofman (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny filmů pro děti a mládež)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

77 min

Original length in metres

2 163 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Festival: 14. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov

1974
Zlín / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 14. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov

1974
Zlín / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 14. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov

1974
Zlín / Czechoslovakia