Foals in the River
Typology
featureCzech title
Plavení hříbatRuntime
90Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1975Production year
1975Premiere
11.06.1976Language version
CzechDirector
Hynek BočanSummary
The successful collaboration between director Hynek Bočan and Moravian writer Jan Kostrhun took off with the drama Plavení hříbat (Foals in the River, 1975). The film, inspired by the writer’s novella Prázdniny (Holidays), was then followed by Tvář za sklem (The Face behind the Glass, 1979), Pytláci (Poachers, 1981) and Vinobraní (The Grape Harvest, 1982). The protagonist of Plavení hříbat, set in an idyllic South Moravian village over the summer holidays, is agricultural college student Vinca Adámek. Though he is offered a post as an assistant lecturer at his alma mater, his summer stay in his native village leads him to consider opting for a “real” job instead. While the role of Vinca was given to Bočan’s preferred actor Ivan Vyskočil, the director cast an older generation of members of the acting elite as the villagers (Jiří Sovák, Vlastimil Brodský and Vladimír Menšík, among others). Vladimír Dlouhý took on the part of the protagonist’s unfortunate friend Olin.
Synopsis
After his final exams Vinca Adámek, a student at the Agricultural University in Prague, gets an offer to stay on at the faculty as a junior lecturer. His fellow student Ilona invites him to a trip to Orava in Slovakia in the vacation, but Vinca refuses. Once he courted Ilona, but she only offered him friendship. Now he has a serious relationship with the teacher Marie, and in any case his father expects him to work on the cooperative farm during the vacation. On his return to his native village, however, he finds that his father has an even bigger surprise than usual in store for him. He has to stand in for an livestock specialist who is going off with his band for two weeks to the famous folklore festival in Strážnice. Vinca acquits himself well in the job. He knows all the other members of the standard farming cooperative very well and understands their worries, but he also knows how to put his foot down. He is, however, shocked by the death of young Olin, thrown during a storm by his beloved horse Lukava. The grieving Vinca goes to see Marie, but other people's sufferings do not interest her. The livestock specialist comes back from Strážnice with first prize. He is enthusiastically telling Vinca all about it when suddenly Vinca's father comes running up. The boy has a visitor - a "bride". It is not Marie, but Ilona. Vinca's parents take a liking to Ilona, especially when she immediately makes friends with a goat that is the father's particular pride. The next day the two young people go off on their last university vacation and it is almost certain that after his studies Vinca will be returning to work at home.
Note
The story Vacation first came out in Zemědělské noviny (Agricultural News) and then in 1978 in the collection I Know All about Horsehoes, published by Mladá Fronta press.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Ivan Vyskočil
student Vincenc Adámek zvaný Vinca
Jiří Sovák
Adámek, Vincův otec
Helena Kružíková
Adámková, Vincova matka
Vlastimil Brodský
předseda JZD
Kateřina Macháčková
Ilona Marková, Vincova spolužačka
Jana Švandová
učitelka Marie Konečná, Vincova dívka
Vladimír Menšík
kočí Chrástek
Jiřina Třebická
Božka, Chrástkova žena
Václav Babka
nápadník Božky
Josef Somr
zootechnik Ludva Dvořáček
Míla Myslíková
dojička, Dvořáčkova žena
Otto Budín
Konečný, Mariin otec
Jana Dítětová
Konečná, Mariina matka
Vladimír Hlavatý
vrátný Vavruch
Mirko Musil
hostinský Franta
Vladimír Dlouhý
Olin, Vincův kamarád
Miloš Nedbal
profesor Rýdl
Miroslav Homola
Kolman, správce jízdárny
Vlasta Jelínková
stařenka
Ladislav Suchánek
Janda
Milada Janderová
brigádnice Marta
Alice Třísková
brigádnice Marika
Kateřina Vlková
brigádnice
Jiří Holeček
předseda komise
Václav Roštlapil
člen komise
Rudolf Chromek
družstevník
Stanislav Litera
Kalivoda
Vítězslav Jandák
ošetřovatel býků
Václav Michna
velitel požárníků
Václav Bahník
student
Oldřich Kaiser
student
Jiří Kvasnička
student
Marcel Vašinka
student
Jiří Zavřel
student
Vlastimil Zavřel
student
Vlastimil Slezák
praporčík VB
Martin Stropnický
strážmistr VB
Petr Hudeček
hudebník
Václav Kašpárek
hudebník
Antonín Patočka
hudebník
Josef Patočka (2)
hudebník
Pavel Skopal
hudebník
Zdeněk Trlida
hudebník
Petr Oplustil
tanečník
Petr Jákl
dubl
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Květa Lehovcová
Assistant Director
Antonín Kopřiva, Helena Pokorná
Based on
Jan Kostrhun (Prázdniny – povídka)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Script Editor
Camera
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Set Designer
Vladimír Ježek, Ladislav Winkelhöfer, Žák Jiří (2)
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jiří Holeček, Jaroslav Smola, Ctibor Novotný
Unit Production Manager
Petr Neuwirth
Cooperation
Hana Hebrová, Vysoká škola zemědělská v Suchdole, Miloslava Kostková, MNV ve Vrbici, Erika Vojáčková, JZD 9. květen v Brumovicích, František Vokřál, JZD Rudý říjen v Rakvicích, Josef Vítek, Lidový soubor Zavádka Čejkovice
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Music Conducted by
František Belfín (FISYO)
Songs
Je čas luk, Velické zvony, Šohaju, šohaju
Songwriter
Zdeněk Liška (Je čas luk)
Writer of Lyrics
Miloň Čepelka (Je čas luk)
Singer
Pavel Liška (Je čas luk), sbor (Velické zvony), sbor (Šohaju, šohaju)
Production info
Original Title
Plavení hříbat
English Title
Foals in the River
Copyright
1975
Production Year
1975
Premiere
11.06.1976
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Technical info
Versions
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 14. filmový festival mladých Banská Bystrica
1976
Banská Bystrica / Czechoslovakia
Václav Šašek
Vítěz
Event: Literární soutěž k 25. výročí združstevnění naší vesnice
1976
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jan Kostrhun