A Fairy-Tale about Pinkie

Country

Czechoslovakia, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Copyright

1985

Production year

1985

Premiere

1 September 1987

Runtime

80 min

Category

film

Genre

fairytale

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Pohádka o Malíčkovi

Czech title

Pohádka o Malíčkovi

English title

A Fairy-Tale about Pinkie

Co-production title

Malčik s palčik / Spriditis

Summary

The familiar story of an outsider who overcomes an incomparably stronger adversary thanks to his bravery and wit is relayed in this 1985 Czech-Latvian coproduction. Latvian screenwriter and director Gunárs Piesis, Prague’s Barrandov Studios and Riga Film Studio cooperated to produce this nuanced family-fantasy picture which draws heavily on the play Spirídítis (Pinkie) written in 1905 by Latvia’s Anna Brigadere. In that very year there had been an unsuccessful Latvian uprising against Russian rule and a massive wave of emigration had followed. In the film, the orphan boy’s love for his homeland is entwined with patience and the ability to overcome suffering, which are all presented as typically Latvian traits. There are some gripping performances from the cast, including Zdeněk Řehoř as the King, Miloslav Horáček as the Devil and Miroslav Moravec in the role of the Giant.

Synopsis

A devil appears in a cloud of smoke amidst a splendid celebration held at a royal court, announcing to the alarmed participants that he has chosen the princess Goldilocks for his bride and that he will take her away in three days. The king sends out messengers to search the whole country and bring brave volunteers to the court. He promises half of the kingdom and the hand of the princess for her rescue, but no one is interested. At that time, a petite and orphaned boy called Pinkie is leaving his native village. He was chased out by the unkind treatment of his mean stepmother. The only ones who pity him are his grandmother and the stepmother's daughter Lienite. The boy almost drowns in a morass but is helped by the Mother of Winds - a kind fairy-tale creature who gives him a magic pipe. Its whistle makes everyone dance whether they want to or not. Pinkie helps some little children who were caught by an evil giant. When the pipe dances the monster out of breath, it lets the children out of its cave and promises to never harm anybody again. The Mother of Woods gives Pinkie a magic wand. Anyone who touches it cannot let go of it no matter how strong they are. A stingy lord and his maid are counting coins. They hire Pinkie to guard their house from thieves. At night, the compassionate boy lets in a miserable old pilgrim. The meanie wants to beat the old man with his whip and he torments Pinkie, too. The magic wand, however, sticks the greedy inhabitants of the house to the pile of gold coins. It turns out that the pilgrim is an old magician. He gives Pinkie a magic ring which, if twisted, can transport its owner to anywhere he wants. Pinkie applies for the princess' rescue. He arrives at the château just in time. He tires the devil with dance and paralyzes him with the magic wand. And because he also breaks off one of his horns, the devil cannot return to earth from hell. But the ungrateful princess does not want Pinkie for her husband. She even plans to have him killed by an evil seeress after the celebrations. But magic protects the boy. He then flies on the wings of a swan to the promised land - back to his grandmother and Lienite. Soon after, he is visited by the king who wants to buy the magic things. The boy receives a bag of golden coins but he has already returned the objects. The king fortunately takes the stepmother with him, making her a lady at his court, and Pinkie is finally happy.

Film online

Cast

Ronalds Neilands

Voice by Jan Klíma
Malíček

Dace Gasiuňa

Voice by Jana Páleníčková
Lienite, Malíčkova nevlastní sestra

Elvira Baldiňa

Voice by Ludmila Roubíková
babička

Miroslava Součková

Voice by Jarmila Švehlová
princezna Zlatovláska

Juris Strenga

Voice by Stanislav Fišer
lakomec

Astrida Kajriša

Voice by Drahoslava Landsmanová
Matka větrů

Mirdza Martinsone

Voice by Hana Talpová
Matka lesů

Antra Liedskalniňa

Voice by Ljuba Krbová
čarodějnice

Valentins Skulme

ministr

Ubis Dumpis

ministr

Jaroslav Fert

ministr

Josef Husník

ministr

Renata Mašková

dvorní dáma

Elze Radziňa

dvorní dáma

Vlasta Žehrová

dvorní dáma

L. Slavíková

učitelka

Anda Zaice

služka

Alfreds Videnieks

Voice by Soběslav Sejk
stařec

Jiří Ťoupal

dítě

Michal Dufek

klaun

Kateřina Prosová

klaunka

J. Hladký

klaun

P. Bém

posel

J. Matyášek

posel

J. Nykodým

posel

J. Richter

posel

M. Bláha

tanečník

S. Fišerová

tanečnice

Renáta Fučíková

tanečnice

O. Jedličková

tanečnice

Helena Jelínková

tanečnice

I. Kotásková

tanečnice

P. Kubal

tanečník

Karel Littera

tanečník

Petr Novák (2)

tanečník

Stanislav Olbricht

tanečník

R. Pálenský

tanečník

Simona Polcarová

tanečnice

Bronislav Roznos

tanečník

P. Šmeralová

tanečnice

Cyril Štampach

tanečník

J. Veselá

tanečnice

Egon Majsaks

Voice by Radan Rusev
herold

Miervaldis Ozoliņš

Voice by Otto Lackovič
herold

Jan Zouhar

herold

J. Garoš

herold

J. Haas

herold

J. Čížek

herold

E. Müller

herold

Dita Čejchanová

dubl za Antru Liedskalniňu

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Martin Mahdal, Sergej Berdičevskij

Screenstory

Gunárs Piesis

Based on

Anna Brigadere (Malíček /Spriditis/ – divadelní hra)

Screenplay

Gunárs Piesis

Director of Photography

Martiňš Klejns

Production Designer

Ivar Mailitis, Miloš Červinka

Assistent Production Designer

Martin Malý

Set Designer

Karel Kracík, Milan Šebo, Milan Šefrna

Film Editor

Lienite Baliň, Jiřina Skalská (česká verze)

Sound Designer

Igor Jakovlev, Jaromír Svoboda (česká verze)

Stunts

Ladislav Kocourek, Hana Ludvíková

Production Manager

Maris Kursitis, Miroslav Dousek, Zdena Sirotková (česká verze)

Unit Production Manager

Sarma Matvek, Bohdan Kysil, Irena Koucká

Unit Production Manager

Jan Boček

Cooperation

J. A. Pilskalus (fotograf)

Translation of Czech version

K. M. Walló

Dialogues of Czech version

K. M. Walló

Direction of Czech version

K. M. Walló

Songs

Jak zrádné je zlato

Song Composer Imants Kalninš
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer Miroslava Součková [dab]

Zpěv bludiček

Song Composer Imants Kalninš
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer ženský sbor

Píseň Matky větrů

Song Composer Imants Kalninš
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer Astrida Kajriša [dab]

Píseň Matky lesů

Song Composer Imants Kalninš
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer Mirdza Martinsone [dab]Hana Talpová

Píseň čerta

Song Composer Imants Kalninš
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer Miloslav Horáček [dab]Michal Pavlata

Usni sladce

Song Composer Imants Kalninš
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer sbor

Peříčko, hadříček, to už je poklad celý

Song Composer Imants Kalninš
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer Juris Strenga [dab]Stanislav Fišer

Nad hlavou hvězdný vodopád

Song Composer Imants Kalninš
Writer of Lyrics K. M. Walló
Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Pohádka o Malíčkovi

Czech Title

Pohádka o Malíčkovi

English Title

A Fairy-Tale about Pinkie

Co-production Title

Malčik s palčik / Spriditis

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

fairytale

Origin country

Czechoslovakia, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Copyright

1985

Production Year

1985

Production specifications

start of filming 27 December 1984
end of filming 16 November 1985
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1995

Premiere

premiere 1 September 1987 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

4. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Marcela Pittermannová (vedoucí 4. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

80 min

Original length in metres

2 185 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

Awards

Vítěz

Festival: 17. mezinárodní filmový festival Giffoni Valle Piana

1987
Giffoni Valle Piana / Italy

Vítěz

Festival: Všesvazový filmový festival „Skazka“ Tallinn

1987
Tallinn / Estonia