Closed Circuit

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1989

Production year

1988

Premiere

1 May 1989

Runtime

98 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Uzavřený okruh

Czech title

Uzavřený okruh

English title

Closed Circuit

Summary

This 1989 film from director Václav Matějka seeks to tell an environmental and ethical tale set in the world of manufacturing. Uzavřený okruh (Closed Circuit, 1989) is inspired by the short story Slunce pro můj den (Sun for My Day) from author Jiří S. Kupka, who also contributed to the screenplay adaptation. The story describes a clash between two morally contrasting expert professionals: experienced engineer Zikmund (Ladislav Lakomý), whose projects regularly cause environmental devastation, and the environmentally enlightened young engineer Karel Kalaš (Pavol Višňovský). Despite the fact that Zikmund’s daughter is engaged to the son of an ore mine director, she develops a relationship with Karel. The affair results in the death of an innocent bicyclist, Karel’s imprisonment, and his resignation from the “closed circuit” world of opportunism and power.

Synopsis

The big industrial enterprises cause an ecological catastrophe in the Dřínovské Mountains. The enemies are the so-called captains of Czechoslovak industry, linked in a "closed circuit" by mutual services, favouritism and bribes with those in power at the regional offices and the Prague ministry. One of them is an engineer called Zikmund whose construction project of yet another steelworks will result in total devastation of the countryside. A rather different project was put together by a young engineer called Honza Kalaš, in collaboration with the ecologists. It is based on a "closed circuit" of wasteless technology. At a mascarade ball, Honza meets Zikmund's daughter Karla who flirts with him openly although she is engaged to the son of the general director of the ore mines, Burda. Karla and Honza soon become lovers. Honza does not cease fighting for his project even though his ex-wife Marta, a lawyer, indicates to him that he has no chance. Zikmund, learning about his daughter's affair with Kalaš, flies into a rage and insists on her immediate wedding with the young Burda. Honza says goodbye to Karla at a cottage and gets drunk. Karla is driving on the way back and runs down a cyclist who later dies. The girl runs away and leaves the sleeping Honza in the car. He, however, does not remember anything the next day. Karla obeys her father's advice and claims that it was Honza who was driving. Zikmund's influential contacts interfere at the court and Honza is sentenced to four years in prison. Zikmund's project wins the competition and the construction is launched. But two years later it turns out that the construction cannot be continued according to the plans, and Zikmund must rework the project. He unscrupulously uses Honza's ideas. Honza is released from prison and finds work at a sawmill. He does not want to return to his previous profession - he cannot reconcile himself with the success of people like Zikmund and his daughter who are capable of destroying everything and everybody.

Cast

Pavol Višňovský

Voice by Ladislav Mrkvička
Ing. Jan Kalaš

Ladislav Lakomý

Ing. Karel Zikmund

Veronika Jeníková

Karla, Zikmundova dcera

Karel Heřmánek

ekolog Ruda Mikula, Kalašův přítel

Petr Pospíchal

ekonom Standa Burda, Karlin snoubenec

Jan Pohan

ředitel rudných dolů, Standův otec

Vlastimil Fišar

ministerský úředník Jiří Horák, Karlin strýc

Michaela Dolinová

Ing. Věra Šípová, Karlina kamarádka

Zlata Adamovská

právnička Marta, Kalašova bývalá žena

Emil Horváth

Voice by Ferdinand Krůta
včelař děda Jančák

Bořík Procházka

docent Kříž, ředitel ekologického střediska

Zdeněk Martínek

Voice by Jiří Holý
profesor Hulík

Jana Gýrová

ředitelka umělecké agentury Pavla, Zikmundova žena

Václav Vydra

Tonda Karas, Kalašův bývalý spolužák

Jitka Sedláčková

poštovní úřednice Maruška

Vlastimil Čaněk

stavbyvedoucí Jarolímek

František Švihlík

JUDr. Vladimír Gruber, Martin přítel

Václav Babka

soused Petřek

Naděžda Prchalová

Burdová, Standova matka

Valentina Thielová

Horákova manželka

Miroslav Krejča

ředitel stavby Ing. Alex

Marta Pospíchalová

Alexova manželka

Jaromír Roštínský

kapitán Sychra

Čestmír Řanda ml.

podporučík Mařík

Tomáš Valík

podporučík Hájek

Eva Jeníčková

sekretářka Marcela

Karel Koloušek

železničář Tomeš

Václav Knop

vyšetřovatel

Jiří Langmajer

poručík VB

Luďa Marešová

Jarolímková

Milan Hein

redaktor Dezort

Jana Krišicová

Hanička

Vladimír Pospíšil

předseda komise Fajtl

Isabela Siegelová

sekretářka Soňa

Jana Rubášová (2)

Miss Evropa

Ivan Urbánek

malíř Jonáš

Filip Renč

televizní redaktor

Irena Pavlásková

režisérka KF

Kristian Hynek

kameraman KF

Miroslav Grác

Vávra

Jan Kriesman

Voice by Vlastimil Zavřel
vězeň Francl

Jolana Maurerová

Boženka, Karasova žena

Karel Brožek

šéfredaktor

Taťána Bártová

barmanka

Miroslav Saic

ředitel Dohnal

Martin Duba

kameraman TV

Jaroslav Hejlek

zvukař TV

Michal Cuc

asistent zvukaře

H. Soukup

osvětlovač TV

M. Rada

produkční TV

Vlastimila Vlková

babka Petřeková

Ivan Minář

fotograf

Lucie Bílá

zpěvačka

Jan Drašnar

muzikant

Aleš Duša

muzikant

O. Mucha

muzikant

Radek Podroužek

muzikant

M. Potoček

muzikant

Jan Prokeš (4)

muzikant

B. Sailer

muzikant

Pavel Skála (4)

muzikant

Michal Šenbauer

muzikant

J. Škop

muzikant

skupina Naima

František Kop

muzikant v Rubínu

Martin Šulc

muzikant v Rubínu

Zdeněk Zdeněk

muzikant v Rubínu

Bedřich Kovrzek

Tonda Ras

Hana Vávrová

redaktorka

J. Kaška

barman v Rubínu

P. Čermáková

Karlina kamarádka

Martina Gasparovičová

Karlina kamarádka

skupina Galapetr

L. Poupě

harmonikář

Simona Jáklová

dubl za Veroniku Jeníkovou

Dubbing

Karel Urbánek

komentář televizního dokumentu

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Josef Sandr

Assistant Director

Oskar Reif

Screenstory

Jiří S. Kupka

Based on

Jiří S. Kupka (Slunce pro můj den – filmová povídka)

Shooting Script

Václav Matějka

Director of Photography

Jaroslav Brabec

Second Unit Photography

Ladislav Chroust

Camera Operator

Michal Škoda

Production Designer

Jaromír Švarc

Assistent Production Designer

Ivan Balurov

Art Director

Josef Mysliveček (obrazy)

Set Designer

Bedřich Čermák, Rudolf Beneš, Jaroslav Lehman

Costume Designer

Dimitrij Kadrnožka

Film Editor

Jan Svoboda

Sound Designer

Jiří Hora, Jiří Zobač

Production Manager

Petr Čapek

Unit Production Manager

Daniela Jenčíková, Josef Štambach

Unit Production Manager

Milan Maňák

Consultant

JUDr. Jan Dyk, JUDr. František Fiala, RNDr. Karel Friedel, ak. arch. Milan Podzemný, RNDr. Pavel Štrunc

Cooperation

Milada Adámková (klapka), Ivan Minář (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří F. Svoboda

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens)

Music Supervisor

Jiří Zobač

Songs

Já sny mám

Song Composer Jiří F. Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Pavel Vrba
Singer Lucie Bílá

Pod jalovec sedla

Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Uzavřený okruh

Czech Title

Uzavřený okruh

English Title

Closed Circuit

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1989

Production Year

1988

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 20 November 1987
technical Screenplay approved 15 March 1988
start of filming 11 April 1988
end of filming 20 July 1988
the first film copy approved 4 November 1988
projection approval 15 December 1988

Premiere

premiere 1 May 1989 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

2. tvůrčí skupina, Josef Císař (vedoucí 2. tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

98 min

Original length in metres

2 403 meters

Distribution carrier

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