The Seventh Evening

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1974

Production year

1973—1974

Premiere

31 January 1975

Runtime

90 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, crime

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Sedmého dne večer

Czech title

Sedmého dne večer

English title

The Seventh Evening

Working title

Pět dní kapitána Š. / Sedmý den

Summary

Vladimír Čech filmed this psychological drama with criminal intrigue in 1974. The story’s protagonist is Václav Martan, a former aviation mechanic who tries to start a new life upon his release from prison. Martan is able to find work as a forest labourer in a border village – and a love interest in temporary worker Ivana. But when two murdered men are discovered in the forest, Martan, a man who has spent five years doing hard labour in the uranium mines for trying to hijack an airplane, becomes the main suspect. This story, based on a script from author and screenwriter Rudolf Kalčík, is designed as a tale of redemption for a character who previously strayed from the ideological path. Eduard Cupák offers a convincing performance in the lead role. Karel Höger and Luďek Munzar play two criminologists assisted by Martan in tracking down the real perpetrators of the crime.

Synopsis

Václav Martan, a former aircraft mechanic moves in a frontier village. He buys a horse from the pensioner Vávra, and he wants to work with the horse in the wood. He stays in a flat above the pub and he knocks the old animal into shape by walks and grazing on the meadows. Soon he makes friends with a young and pretty temporary worker Ivana and he even asks for her hand. He tells her he used to make a lot of money in uranium mines but he missed there the nature. The girl has parents living inland who tremble for her and therefore they are sending her packets with oranges. In the wood where Martan uses to feed the horse a technician and a foreste are shot. The criminalists start to investigate the case together with the frontier guards. Martan becomes suspected. Some time ago he was in prison for five years because he had attempted to hijack an airplane. Ivana told him a lie too, in reality she had grown up in a children's home and she is sending the fruit herself. Tonda Randák who had seen Martan to run away from the scene of the crime is an important witness. Tonda's brother Eda deserted from the army and fled to the West. Martan is arrested, he admits that it was he who has found both dead men but he was afraid to report it. But while he is arrested, a soldier is wounded by shooting at the border with the same gun. Randák starts to say to the police that Eda had not fled anywhere and is hiding in the surroundings. Martan is not guilty but the criminalists announce with his consent that Martan had pleaded guilty. After seven days of searching Tonda Randák is convicted and arrested. Ivana and Václav shall explain many things to each other now.

Film online

Cast

Eduard Cupák

Václav Martan, bývalý letecký mechanik

Hana Packertová

brigádnice Ivana Zímová

Jan Přeučil

dělník na pile Tonda Randák

Karel Höger

kriminalista major Tichý

Luděk Munzar

kriminalista kapitán Jan Šrámek

Jitka Zelenohorská

Eva, Šrámkova žena

Gustav Heverle

major Pohraniční stráže Baloc

Miroslav Krejča

nadporučík Hromádka

Jiří Krampol

poručík Jakeš

Ladislav Trojan

kriminalista Zeman

Josef Beyvl

harmonikář Zunt

Jiří Němeček

nadpraporčík Ryba

Eduard Kohout

starý Randák

Jana Hermachová

Tereza Randáková

Miloslav Holub

Vávra, Martanův předchůdce

Robert Vrchota

polesný Kovanda

Raoul Schránil

polesný Rataj

Oldřich Velen

hostinský

Václav Kotva

lesní technik Alois Moučka

Anna Vaňková

výčepní

Stanislav Hrdlička

Mach

Mirko Musil

správce Doubek

Josef Šebek

voják Burian

Pavel Jindra

pasák

Bohuslav Remeš

hlídka VB

Petr Hanousek

hlídka VB

Zdeněk Mucha

hlídka Pohraniční stráže

Milan Blecha

hlídka Pohraniční stráže

Petr Kubinský

řidič Pohraniční stráže

Eva Kubínská

brigádnice

Vilemína Nejedlová-Skokanová

prodavačka Marková

Elena Strupková

úřednice na poště

příslušníci Československé llidové armády

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Milan Vácha

Assistant Director

Stanislav Ulver

Screenstory

Rudolf Kalčík

Shooting Script

Vladimír Čech

Director of Photography

Rudolf Milič

Second Unit Photography

Josef Pechar

Camera Operator

Emil Hora

Production Designer

Jaroslav Krška

Assistent Production Designer

Vladimír Hovorka

Art Director

Jiří Švengsbír

Set Designer

Josef Müller, Bohuslav Varhaník, Jiří Žůček

Costume Designer

Adolf Wenig

Film Editor

Antonín Zelenka

Assistant Film Editor

Eliška Willigová

Sound Designer

Pavel Jelínek

Production Manager

Jiří Pokorný

Unit Production Manager

Karel Škop, Vlasta Synkulová

Unit Production Manager

Jan Milič

Consultant

plk. Jan Kovář, František Kruml, mjr. Stanislav Hrdlička

Cooperation

T. Hospodářová (klapka), Josef Janoušek (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Štěpán Lucký

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Songs

Zdálo se mi, má panenko

Singer sbor

Na Šumavě je dolina

Singer sbor

Production info

Original Title

Sedmého dne večer

Czech Title

Sedmého dne večer

English Title

The Seventh Evening

Working Title

Pět dní kapitána Š. / Sedmý den

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, crime

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1974

Production Year

1973—1974

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 19 October 1973
start of filming 6 November 1973
technical Screenplay approved 11 March 1974
end of filming 26 September 1974
projection approval 2 October 1974

Premiere

gala premiere 20 January 1975 (Karlovy Vary)
premiere 30 January 1975 /suitable for youths/ (kino Kyjev, Praha)
premiere 31 January 1975 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Karla Copa, Karel Cop (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

90 min

Original length in metres

2 530 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

Event: Literární soutěž Československého filmu k 25. výročí Února

1973
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Rudolf Kalčík

Vítěz

Event: Literární soutěž Československého filmu k 25. výročí Února

1973
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Vladimír Čech