The Girl with a Sea-Shell

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1980

Production year

1979—1980

Premiere

13 February 1981

Runtime

87 min

Category

film

Genre

psychological

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Dívka s mušlí

Czech title

Dívka s mušlí

English title

The Girl with a Sea-Shell

Summary

The fate of an adolescent girl whose life was affected by serious parental neglect was the inspiration for Jaromíra Kolárová’s novel and this film adaptation bearing the same name. In this intimate family drama, director Jiří Svoboda remained true to his formally effective style, which somewhat pushes the actual dramatic fate of the 13-year-old heroine into the background. At school little Vendula is considered to be backward; but in fact she has taken over from her alcoholic mother, caring for her three younger half-siblings. Evelyna Steimarová excels in the role of the unhappy woman addicted to alcohol in this 1980 drama. After Čekání na déšť (Waiting for the Rain, 1978), Karel Kachyňa secured the part of the heavily tested heroine for the young Dita Kaplanová, giving her another opportunity to deliver a deeply heartfelt performance.

Synopsis

Thirteen-year-old Vendula dozes off at school and dreams about her parents riding in a carriage dressed in their wedding clothes. The young teacher is angry with the girl who has already failed a year, and has no idea that she is looking after three younger half-brothers. They all have a different father and their mother comes home noisy and drunk every day, often accompanied by a man. Early in the morning, Vendula helps her mother clean offices, and sometimes has to do the cleaning all by herself. Her eldest brother Libor is good at school and blindly adores his mother. Jeník is a talented flute player and much more cynical. The youngest Venoušek is still a toddler. The only one who is cared of is Vendula by her father, who has divorced his confirmed alcoholic wife years ago and has another daughter in his new family. All his attempts to persuade Vendula to move in with them are in vain. The girl is selflessly trying to keep the family together. One night, her mother's drunken guest makes passes at Vendula and the girl's escape ends in a fall from the stairs and a stay in hospital. The mother ends up in an alcohol detoxification clinic, Venoušek in an orphanage, and the boys at a children's home where Vendula also finds herself after she gets well. In the meantime, the mother has given Venoušek up for adoption. Although back from the clinic, she shows no interest in her children and has started drinking again. She snubs her daughter who has hitchhiked to come and see her. Vendula's dreams of a real family have collapsed. At the masked ball in the children's home Vendula smiles for the first time.

Cast

Dita Kaplanová

Voice by Sylva Sequensová
Vendula Brabcová

Petr Bosák

Jeník, Vendulin nevlastní bratr

Martin Zavadil

Libor, Vendulin nevlastní bratr

Dana Medřická

sociální pracovnice Humlová

Emma Černá

vychovatelka

Ladislav Frej

Brabec, Vendulin otec

Regina Rázlová

otcova druhá žena

Jan Hartl

učitel Kadeřávek

Eva Horká

Helena, Vendulina nevlastní sestra

Michala Baumannová

Zuzka

Eugen Jegorov

saxofonista Šimák

Jaroslava Tichá

sousedka s pomerančem

Jiří Škoda

soused Kraus

Bohumil Šmída

příslušník VB

Patrik Taragoš

Venoušek, Vendulin nejmladší bratr

Josef Fousek

číšník

Petra Fischerová

princezna, dvojče z Dětského domova

Šárka Fischerová

princezna, dvojče z Dětského domova

Jaroslava Tvrzníková

kuchařka ve škole

Radek Telvák

Pepík

E. Rudyšarová

Jana

D. Selnerová

Sýkorová

D. Gumiňski

tlouštík

E. Petrásková

spolužačka

V. Vendl

spolužák

Š. Bejblová

spolužačka

P. Hrdina

spolužák

R. Hoffmannová

spolužačka

P. Hrdina

spolužák

Zdeněk Srstka

dubl za Jiřího Škodu

Jaroslav Šanda

dubl za Jiřího Škodu

Stanislava Švecová

V. Havlíček

Miroslav Hušek

S. Jeník

Otakar Berger

Z. Glosová

Z. Kosařová

Jozef Gajzler

Jiří Urban

Sandra Večtomová

Karel Weber

Miroslav Brejcha

Jaroslav Marušák

Pavel Drančák

J. Lejsal

F. Petřík

Petr Šafus

Blanka Sychrová

Markéta Würtherová

Eliška Weselá

Alena Martínková

Michael Pohl

Jiří Zika (2)

N. Jandovská

Tomáš Sychra

J. Pecka

Anna Čumpelíková

Ludmila Jiříčková

Renata Socháňová

G. Márinková

Lenka Můrová

Libuše Viktorová

Z. Kremerová

P. Kašparová

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Zdeněk Flídr

Assistant Director

Dalibor Fiksa

Continuity

Dana Průchová

Based on

Jaromíra Kolárová (Dívka s mušlí – novela ze sbírky Cizí děti)

Screenplay

Miloslav Vydra

Shooting Script

Jiří Svoboda

Dramaturg

Zdeněk Dufek

Director of Photography

Andrej Barla

Second Unit Photography

Pavel Dosoudil

Camera Operator

Jiří Knotek

Production Designer

Milan Nejedlý

Assistent Production Designer

Boris Moravec ml.

Set Designer

Jan Hodný, Jaroslav Česal, Karel Kočí

Costume Designer

Šárka Hejnová

Film Editor

Josef Valušiak

Sound Designer

Jiří Moudrý

Production Manager

Karel Vejřík

Unit Production Manager

Dana Dudová, Miroslav Dousek

Unit Production Manager

Ivana Chobotová

Consultant

doc. Dr. Karel Tmej, CSc.

Cooperation

Alice Kracíková (klapka), Ivan Minář (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Petr Hapka

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens)

Songs

Ovčáci čtveráci

Singer dívčí sbor

Temný stín

Song Composer Petr Hapka
Writer of Lyrics Petr Rada
Singer MefistoJaromír MayerKarel Svoboda

Production info

Original Title

Dívka s mušlí

Czech Title

Dívka s mušlí

English Title

The Girl with a Sea-Shell

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

psychological

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1980

Production Year

1979—1980

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 12 July 1979
start of filming 15 November 1979
technical Screenplay approved 18 December 1979
end of filming 23 June 1980
projection approval 26 June 1980

Premiere

premiere 13 February 1981 /unsuitable for youths/

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

87 min

Original length in metres

2 442 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 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

Awards

Vítěz

Festival: 19. festival českých a slovenských filmů Kladno

1981
Kladno / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 18. filmový festival mladých Trutnov

1981
Trutnov / Czechoslovakia
Dita Kaplanová

Vítěz

Festival: 32. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´81

1981
62 měst / Czechoslovakia
Dita Kaplanová