The Journey all around My Head

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1984

Production year

1983—1984

Premiere

1 March 1985

Runtime

78 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Cesta kolem mé hlavy

Czech title

Cesta kolem mé hlavy

English title

The Journey all around My Head

Summary

After years of co-writing screenplays for the Czech films of Miloš Forman, Jaroslav Papoušek ventured into directing. In addition to his satirical trilogy about the Homolka family, foremost among his achievements is this comedy inspired by humorist Miroslav Skála. Cesta kolem mé hlavy (Journey all around My Head), from 1984, is the culmination of his filmography. The protagonist of the story, which takes place in a psychiatric ward, is a depressive high school teacher named Robert, who suffers from chronic indecisiveness. However, thanks to his eccentric fellow patients and doctors, as well as a beautiful psychiatrist, the hero ends up overcoming his problems. Papoušek found a convincing and sympathetic star in Ondřej Havelka. Miroslav Macháček and Jiří Bartoška excel in the supporting roles of this popular film. The hero’s good psychiatric fairy is played by Marta Vančurová.

Synopsis

A secondary school teacher of Czech, Robert Kilian, suffers from depressive neurasthenia which manifests itself as irresoluteness. He is sent to a psychiatric sanatorium. His first therapist is the jovial doctor Viceník, to whom Robert confides about his main problem: he does not know whether he should marry Naděžda because they differ in opinion on a furniture wall system. Robert shares a room with doctor Šifalda who is convinced he has a malign brain tumour. During the group psychotherapy, Robert gets to know the other patients - the frustrated and short puppet actor, with whom Robert immediately gets into conflict during the staging of a fairy tale The Wolf and the Kids, as well as the bitter actress Hanzlíková, Mrs Doležalová, who wanted to assassinate her husband, and others. Doctor Viceník leaves for schooling and doctor Halva meanwhile tries to arouse "healthy anger" in Robert. Yet another therapist is the young doctor Březinová. Robert falls in love with her. She does not trust his affection claiming that it is the so-called transfer which is often in the patient-doctor relationship. But Robert is firmly resolved to win Březinová's heart. Picking up apples, Robert breaks his collarbone. He has, however, recovered and leaves the sanatorium with his hand in plaster. The patients adopt his motto "Come on, lets be nice to each other". Robert waits for the bus in the fields but decides to return. The car of doctor Březinová is just driving towards him.

Cast

Ondřej Havelka

profesor češtiny Robert Kilian

Miroslav Macháček

pacient PhDr. Šifalda, CSc.

Marta Vančurová

psychiatrička MUDr. Březinová

Petr Haničinec

psychiatr MUDr. Viceník

Eva Vidlařová

pacientka Doležalová

Jana Andresíková

pacientka herečka Hanzlíková

Miroslav Nohýnek

pacient playboy Kučera

Miloslava Ebrová

pacientka Milada

Eugen Jegorov

správce Vencl

Jiří Bartoška

psychiatr MUDr. Kamil Halva

Vlastimil Venclík

pacient loutkoherec Standa Šindelka

Roman Skamene

pacient Michal Ředina

Vladimír Huber

profesor Šálek

Jitka Asterová

zdravotní sestra Olga

Ludmila Roubíková

úřednice/kuchařka/Cornelie

Anna Wetlinská

pacientka Vaňátková

Arnošt Böhm

pacient Hořánek

Josef Adlt

pacient Tenora

Lena Birková

pacientka

Michaela Kudláčková

Petra, Venclova dcera

Jan Žáček

mladý strávník

Jarmila Horská

uklízečka

Bedřich Lomoz

pacient

J. Pospíšil

mladý muž

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Milan Klacek

Assistant Director

Tomáš Urban, Magda Vodičková

Based on

Miroslav Skála (Cesta kolem mé hlavy za 40 dnů – novela)

Shooting Script

Jaroslav Papoušek

Dramaturg

Pavel Hajný

Director of Photography

Jiří Šámal

Second Unit Photography

Karel Dobřichovský

Camera Operator

Antonín Mařík

Production Designer

Jaromír Švarc

Assistent Production Designer

Roman Květoň

Set Designer

Jiří Žák, Libor Čížek, Ladislav Winkelhöfer

Costume Designer

Helena Dubová

Film Editor

Jiří Brožek

Assistant Film Editor

Věra Flaková, Eva Horázná

Sound Designer

Alexandr Vrbata

Production Manager

Jaroslav Solnička

Unit Production Manager

Vladimíra Kopecká, Ludmila Venclíková, Milan Štěch

Consultant

doc. MUDr. Karel Souček, CSc.

Cooperation

Lenka Mojžíšová (klapka), Jaromír Komárek (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Petr a Pavel Orm

Music Performed by

Petr a Pavel Orm (Music Conducted by Pavel Růžička)

Production info

Original Title

Cesta kolem mé hlavy

Czech Title

Cesta kolem mé hlavy

English Title

The Journey all around My Head

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1984

Production Year

1983—1984

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 13 April 1983
start of filming 18 July 1983
technical Screenplay approved 27 July 1983
end of filming 17 February 1984
projection approval 9 March 1984
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990

Premiere

premiere 1 March 1985 /unsuitable for youths/

Creative Group

2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Josef Císař (vedoucí 2. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

78 min

Original length in metres

2 236 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech