Close to the Sky
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1958Production year
1957—1958Premiere
24 October 1958Runtime
81 minDirector
Zdeněk PodskalskýCategory
filmGenre
comedy, satireTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Mezi nebem a zemíCzech title
Mezi nebem a zemíEnglish title
Close to the SkyWorking title
Mezi zemí a nebemSynopsis
In the small town of Pivonice all troubles are resolved by Nováček, a conscientious but timid clerk, willing to help anyone who needs it, even outside office hours. One day Nováček is overcome by exhaustion through overwork and is taken to hospital. From snatches of conversation it transpires that he is seriously ill and that he has fourteen days to live. This new situation changes Nováček's attitude to life. He makes a stand against the bureaucratic director Korejs and resolves the citizens' problems without unnecessary delay. With the help of the director's secretary Boženka, who loves him, Nováček even travels to Prague to visit the Ministry in order to gather support. The deputy who is responsible for their region, however, has just left for Pivonice to review the situation. Nováček thinks that his battle is lost. The only consolation left to him is Boženka's love. One night he dreams of being in heaven. In a dialogue with God he discovers that he will not die and also that people must sort out their problems for themselves, without God's intervention. In the morning Nováček awakes fully recovered and with satisfaction hears the results of the ministerial review which justifies his criticism.
Note
During preparations for filming and the filming itself the work was described in the period press chiefly with the Czech title Mezi zemí a nebem; the same title was used in the periodical Film Review (Filmový přehled). The script of the film had the same title. The introductory title on the original negative and copy, however, give the Czech title Mezi nebem a zemí.
Photos
Cast
Vlastimil Brodský
úředník František Nováček
Marie Landová
sekretářka Boženka Kalinová/anděl Andělka ve snu
Martin Růžek
ředitel úřadu Josef Korejs/svatý Tadeáš ve snu
Miloš Kopecký
úředník Leopold Matějka
František Smolík
hodinář/Pán Bůh ve snu
Jiří Sovák
zaměstnanec Pohřební služby Emil Bouzek
Milan Neděla
pokrývač Tonda
Zdeněk Najman
pokrývač Lojza
Zdeněk Řehoř
holič Krupička
Josef Bláha
kameník
František Šlégr
vrátný Hromádka/svatý Petr ve snu
Ladislav Pešek
listonoš/svatý Florián ve snu
Lubomír Lipský
redaktor
Stella Zázvorková
učitelka hudby/anděl, nebeská dirigentka ve snu
Walter Taub
lékárník
Ota Motyčka
redaktor Šalplachta
Arnošt Faltýnek
trafikant
Viktor Očásek
čtenář v trafice
Josef Vošalík
revizor z kraje
Bedřich Zelenka
revizor z kraje
Oldřich Musil
úředník z ministerstva
František Černý
úředník z ministerstva
Vladimír Hrubý
úředník z ministerstva
Václav Kaňkovský
úředník z ministerstva
Antonín Soukup
hostinský Koula
Darja Hajská
žadatel na úřadě/anděl-matka ve snu
Zdeněk Hodr
lékař v nemocnici
Václav Wasserman
pacient v nemocnici
Hynek Němec
pacient v nemocnici Jiří Hajný
Lubomír Bryg
pacient v nemocnici Jiří Kučera
František Suk
Houf, žadatel na úřadě
Josef Kruml
kluk s novinami/čertík ve snu
Ladislav Gzela
host v hospodě
Jaroslav Jílovec
žadatel na úřadě
Jiří Hajný
příslušník VB
J. Bejval
Commentary
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Jana Pokorná, Jaroslav Ullmann
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Antonín Pašek, Jaroslav Ciboch
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Gustav Hrdlička (návrhy masek), Václav Krolop, Jiřina Bissingerová
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Ján Šmok, Vladimír Dvořák (modely)
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Cooperation
Josef Pražák (vrchní osvětlovač)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Production info
Original Title
Mezi nebem a zemí
Czech Title
Mezi nebem a zemí
English Title
Close to the Sky
Working Title
Mezi zemí a nebem
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
comedy, satire
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1958
Production Year
1957—1958
Production specifications
technical Screenplay approved 19 July 1957
start of filming 9 August 1957
end of filming 18 June 1958
projection approval 28 August 1958
withdrawal from distribution 31 January 1973
Premiere
preview 17 October 1958 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 24 October 1958 /suitable for youths/ (kina Jalta /4 týdny/, Moskva /1 týden/, Veletrhy /1 týden/ a Svornost /1 týden od 14. 11./, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Laboratories
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Šebor – Kratochvíl, Miloš V. Kratochvíl (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jiří Šebor (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
81 min
Original length in metres
2 314 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,37
Colour
black & white
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
