Why Not Believe in Miracles?
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1977Production year
1977Premiere
21 April 1978Runtime
85 minDirector
Antonín MášaCategory
filmGenre
tragicomedyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Proč nevěřit na zázrakyCzech title
Proč nevěřit na zázrakyEnglish title
Why Not Believe in Miracles?Summary
War as seen through a child’s eyes is a perspective that was often applied successfully in Czechoslovak cinematography. Director and screenwriter Antonín Máša took this path when in 1977 he filmed a drama based on his own ideas. Proč nevěřit na zázraky (Why Not Believe in Miracles?) takes place at the end of the Second World War in Southern Bohemia. The protagonist of the tale is 12-year old village boy Milda (Igor Nachtigal), who still kind of believes that his white goat Brůna will one day change into a horse. And he clings to this naïve wish throughout dramatic encounters with the SS and Russian cavalry officers…. During the years of “normalisation”, the films of the politically “unreliable” Máša – who was fired from Prague’s Barrandov film studios in 1971 – were realised only sporadically and under strict supervision. The original version of this film, which was heavily censored, never appeared in the cinemas. The biggest demanded change related to the ending in which the small hero was shot.
Synopsis
It is the spring of 1945 and the end of the war is approaching. The twelve-year-old Milda Mráz, the son of a poor cobbler Mráz from Nepřejov, still believes a little in miracles. That is why he drags everywhere his white she-goat Brůna which may one day change into a long-desired white horse. Even the promise of the miserly neighbour Petrus that after the war he will arrange a banquet for all the people stands for the evidence of the existence of miracles. Pavel Mácha, who escaped some time ago from forced labour in Nazi Germany, ends hiding and, what is more, his love Vlasta is with child. The villagers, encouraged by news of Prague uprising, are building the triumphal arch to welcome the Red Army. But Pavel is brought home dead in a hay-wagon, after he and other youths wanted to capture arms. The number of the soldiers of the Nazi SS army in a countryside is increasing. They loot the houses desiring to gain civilian clothing. Heading the military column there comes to the village the one-handed Major of the Nazi SS army and takes the villagers hostage. He wants to know who had fired at the soldiers. Eventually Milda does not succeed in protecting Brůna. He is crying and while flying from the German soldiers he meets the Russian cavalry. They make him a present of a white horse. The proud boy is riding to the village. Thus he prevents the villagers from the execution because the German soldiers suppose the Russians are coming and in terror they take to flight. Between the settlement Slivice and the village Milín the Second World War in Europe ended only 12th May 1945.
Note
There is a longer copy in which the story ends tragically – Milda is shot dead by a major SS without anybody noticing his crime. This copy is stored in the NFA. For the distribution the film has been shortened by the director.
Photos
Cast
Igor Nachtigal
Milda Mráz
Václav Babka
švec Josef Mráz, Mildův otec
Jiřina Třebická
Mrázova žena, Mildova matka
Josef Kemr
dědeček Mráz
Lenka Kořínková
Anča, dcera Mrázových
Přemysl Houžvička
Voice by Aťka Janoušková
Pepa, nejmladší syn Mrázových
Roman Čada
Láďa, nejstarší syn Mrázových
Josef Somr
sedlák Petrus
Miroslav Macháček
major SS
Vítězslav Jandák
Pavel Mácha
Libuše Havelková
Pavlova matka
Jiří Hálek
starosta Drtikol
Jiří Pleskot
Mladič
František Husák
lakýrník Eman
Josef Bek
Hodys
Raoul Schránil
řídící učitel
Jiří Lábus
Véna, syn řídícího
Jaroslava Schallerová
Voice by Jana Šulcová
Vlasta, Pavlova dívka
Jan Hartl
Voice by Jan Hrušínský
Suchý, Pavlův kamarád
Erik Pardus
Kajda, Pavlův kamarád
Slávka Hamouzová
majitelka kozla
Martin Štěpánek
hospodář
Jan Teplý
německý důstojník
Jiří Zahajský
Hans, německý důstojník
Ondřej Havelka
německý voják
Tomáš Sedláček
německý voják
Jiří Schmitzer
německý voják
Antonín Procházka
německý voják
Ivan Richter
Voice by Jindřich Narenta
německý voják
David Vejražka
německý voják
Václav Vydra
německý voják
Věra Tichánková
děvečka u Petruse
Jana Vychodilová
děvečka u Petruse
Jindra Janoušková
kamarádka Vlasty
Petr Štěpánek
Lukšan, Pavlův kamarád
Václav Kotva
vesničan
Karel Augusta
vesničan
Josef A. Stehlík
stařík na trakaři
Josef Vondráček
kočí
Vlastimil Venclík
listonoš
Marek Tichý
kluk
Karel Vlček
vesničan
Antonín Hübner
vesničan
Libuše Matějová
vesničanka
Věra Laňková
vesničanka
Tomáš Dolínek
Martin Chaluš
Pavol Moskalik
Štefan Semanco
M. Klemová
R. Alexová
Ivan Stropkovský
D. Tenčl
T. Vrzal
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Eva Slívová
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Cooperation
Richard Valenta (fotograf), Jihočeský KV KSČ, OV KSČ v Písku, OV KSČ v Táboře, Lidové milice
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Songs
Lásko, bože, lásko
Zelení hájové
Singer dívčí sbor
Kolíne, Kolíne
Song Composer František Kmoch
Hej, Slované
Song Composer lidová slovenská píseň
Writer of Lyrics Samo Tomášik
Singer Josef Beksbor
Co ten ptáček, jarabáček
Song Composer František Kmoch
Šly panenky silnicí
Singer Martin Štěpánek
Production info
Original Title
Proč nevěřit na zázraky
Czech Title
Proč nevěřit na zázraky
English Title
Why Not Believe in Miracles?
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
tragicomedy
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1977
Production Year
1977
Premiere
premiere 21 April 1978 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
85 min
Original length in metres
2 529 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech, German, Russian
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 18. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov
1978
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
