How the World Loses Poets
Typology
featureCzech title
Jak svět přichází o básníkyRuntime
90Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1982Production year
1982Premiere
12.11.1982Language version
CzechDirector
Dušan KleinScreenplay
Dušan KleinSummary
In 1982 director Dušan Klein and screenwriter Ladislav Pecháček launched a highly successful comedy series based on the latter’s novel Amateurs. After the success of Jak svět přichází o básníky (How the World Loses Poets) (1982) they returned to their idealistic hero Štěpán two years later with Jak básníci přicházejí o iluze (How Poets Lose Their Illusions). After another follow-up in the form of Jak básníkům chutná život (How the Poets Enjoy Life) (1987) the series was interrupted by the emigration of lead actor Pavel Kříž. However, following a change of political system the creators added two more parts to the original trilogy – Konec básníků v Čechách (The End of Poets in Bohemia) (1993) and Jak básníci neztrácejí naději (Poets Never Lose Hope) (2004). Thus arose a unique series of movies following one fictitious character over more than 20 years against the backdrop of changing political reality. The “Poets pentalogy” is also a record of the acting, physical and human transformation of Kříž – originally an amateur theatre actor, his life was transformed by Klein’s offer of a part in the first Poets picture. While Kříž focused on his dreamt-of field – medicine – during his Canadian exile, his filmography features dozens of others films and series. The eternally wide-eyed Šimon Šafránek, who the first part captures graduating from secondary school and enrolling in medicine and the last depicts as a hospital director, is a kind of shadow figure in his own peripatetic life… As well as a “poetic dolt” Klein’s and Pecháček’s hero is characterised by his relationships with his worry-worn mother (Míla Myslíková), friend Kendy (David Matásek) and attractive girlfriends, whose number grows with every film. Šimon’s efforts to win over the alluring Borůvka (Miroslava Šafránková) devolve in part from an experimental, amateur production of Tyl’s Wood Nymph, which the hero and Kendy are working on. The TV even displays interest in the production. However, Štěpán is more interested in losing his virginity than in media fame.
Synopsis
The couturier afránková makes dresses for most of girls and women in the city. Her only son, 18 year old grammar school student těpán has thus a chance to evaluate their charm secretly through the keyhole. He loves platonically his former schoolmate Marcela called the Blueberry. After her dress try-out těpán always switches off the safety fuse and so he is "obliged" to walk the girl down on the dark staircase. těpán is talented for rhyming and he finds verses for any situation. His friend and schoolmate from the last year of the grammar school, Marek, called Kendy suggests to produce non-professionally an experimental version of Tyl's theatre play called The Wood Nymph aka The Journey to America. těpán writes in the rhymes, Kendy makes music to it all, and they can say good bye to their school and city in an unforgettable way. těpán refuses this idea until he realises he can cast the Blueberry in the main part of Terezka. The Blueberry was just not admitted to the conservatory. The butcher Červíček, an experienced amateur theatre takes up the direction. těpán has a serious rival in love. The publicity officer Nádeníček is older, more experienced, and he is well off. těpán and Kendy visit a wine company which could financially support their theatre play. těpán makes skilfully luxuriant amendments to the boring report prepared by Nádeníček. But the secretary Blueberry who has to retype the text is not exited. Both students work intensively and they hire actors continuously. těpán visits the Blueberry who has a cold. Near her bed he starts making love rhymes, and the girl records them secretly. Nearly the half of the city is rehearsing the theatre play. The director gave a role even to the unpleasant Nádeníček. Even a TV crew comes to shoot a section about the theatre performance. It was arranged by the editor of the local newspapers, who is father of the juicy schoolmate Hrdličková, who makes in vain advances to těpán. The TV director Pergl is quite embarrassed by the adaptation of the classical play, but Kendy and těpán explain promptly on the camera their personal conception. těpán is hopeful about his first making love. The Blueberry told him that her parents had left and she would be the whole night at home alone. těpán says to his mother that the rehearsals will be also at night and after a fresh bath he rings at the Blueberry's door. The girl lets him listen the recording of his own verses. After the successful night the young man recaps: "Poets use to have difficult beginnings and ends. However the meantime is joyful and fruitful. I am at the end. This is the way the world looses poets."
Note
After the success of this film the authors made four free follow ups: How Poets Lose Their Illusions (1984), How Life Smells Good to Poets (1987), The End of Poets in Bohemia... (1993) and How Poets Never Lose Hope (2004). The stories are continuously commented upon and supplemented by short animation sequences.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Pavel Kříž
student Štěpán Šafránek
David Matásek
student Marek zvaný Kendy
Miroslava Šafránková
sekretářka Marcela Borůvková, zvaná Borůvka
Míla Myslíková
švadlena Šafránková, Štěpánova matka
Josef Somr
profesor chemie Libor Ječmen
Miroslava Hozová
Ječmenova manželka
Oldřich Navrátil
propagační referent Emil Nádeníček
Lenka Kořínková
servírka Vránová
František Filipovský
důchodce Valerián Adolf
Jiří Císler
řezník Čermáček, ochotnický režisér
Adolf Filip
Karel Marek, Kendyho otec
Zdeňka Rosolová
Kendyho matka
Luděk Kopřiva
choreograf Hugo Snowden
František Ringo Čech
lázeňský Bouchal
Zdena Hadrbolcová
profesorka Šindlerová
Jiří Kodet
televizní režisér Pergl
Barbora Štěpánová
Jana Hrdličková, Štěpánova spolužačka
Jiřina Jirásková
ředitelka školy
Jaromír Kučera
sexuolog profesor Vodička
Jiří Hálek
redaktor Hrdlička, Janin otec
Jiří Knot
referent ONV
Jaroslava Kretschmerová
Vnoučková, Nádeníčkova milenka
Lubomír Kostelka
údržbář Šindel
Karel Augusta
houslař Kamil Borůvka, otec Marcel
Dana Balounová
matka Borůvky
Milan Klacek
vrchní
Marcela Martínková
sestřička
Zdeněk Srstka
výčepní Karlík
Petra Jindrová
Novotná
Luboš Ocásek
Hanousek
Martin Otava
Stibůrek
Alena Pátková
Eva
Roman Siegel
Bouzek
Emil Sirotek
kameraman
Mirko Musil
profesor branné výchovy
Laco Déczi
člen kapely
Vladimír Hnát
člen kapely
Tomáš Pšenička
člen kapely
Marek Šimůnek
člen kapely
Dalibor Dvořák
Ládík Ječmen
Petr Fassati
Rous
Daniela Popelková
studentka-víla
Jana Bláhová
studentka
Karel Helan
student
Daniela Kučerová
studentka
Martin Loebl
student
Zbyněk Loebl
student
Eva Pokorná (2)
studentka
Naděžda Rašilovová
studentka
Jitka Sedláčková
studentka
Karolina Šaríková
studentka
Barbora Švejdová
studentka
Ivana Volfová
studentka
Šárka Volfová
studentka
Ingeborg Malá
studentka
Jana Güttnerová
dubl za Miroslavu Šafránkovou
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Zdeněk Fiala, Petr Slabý, Dagmar Švejdová
Based on
Ladislav Pecháček (Amatéři – novela)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Script Editor
Camera
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Milan Kopecký
Production Designer
Art Director
Set Designer
Ivo Černý, Miloš Osvald, Jiří Rulík, Ladislav Rada
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Trikový ateliér FSB, Jiří Rumler, Ludvík Malý
Titles Designed by
Stanislav Holý, Zdena Bártová (animace titulků)
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jana Koubová, Jarmila Tomišková
Unit Production Manager
L. Pech
Cooperation
Vítězslava Marčíková, Eva Horázná, Růžena Hejsková, František Dvořák, Jaroslav Trousil
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO, skupina Maximum Petra Hanniga
Music Conducted by
Štěpán Koníček (FISYO)
Songs
Pojď, pojď, už se nevracej, Zapějte mi, tenore, Modrá kukadla /Zdická polka/, V Americe je blaze, Ach, synku, synku, Já jsem sirotek v Praze rozený, Bez jistot, bez střechy nad hlavou, Pojď se mnou, zavedu tě do ráje, Nemáme žádnou šanci
Songwriter
Zdeněk Marat (Pojď, pojď, už se nevracej), Zdeněk Marat (Zapějte mi, tenore), Josef Poncár (Modrá kukadla /Zdická polka/), Zdeněk Marat (V Americe je blaze), Zdeněk Marat (Bez jistot, bez střechy nad hlavou), Zdeněk Marat (Pojď se mnou, zavedu tě do ráje), Zdeněk Marat (Nemáme žádnou šanci)
Writer of Lyrics
Vladimír Poštulka (Pojď, pojď, už se nevracej), Vladimír Poštulka (Zapějte mi, tenore), Václav Zeman (Modrá kukadla /Zdická polka/), Vladimír Poštulka (V Americe je blaze), Vladimír Poštulka (Bez jistot, bez střechy nad hlavou), Vladimír Poštulka (Pojď se mnou, zavedu tě do ráje), Vladimír Poštulka (Nemáme žádnou šanci)
Singer
Vítězslav Vávra (Pojď, pojď, už se nevracej), Naďa Urbánková (Zapějte mi, tenore), Oldřich Navrátil (Modrá kukadla /Zdická polka/), František Ringo Čech (V Americe je blaze), Slávka Španková (Ach, synku, synku), Josef Somr (Ach, synku, synku), František Filipovský (Já jsem sirotek v Praze rozený), Oldřich Navrátil (Bez jistot, bez střechy nad hlavou), Lenka Kořínková (Pojď se mnou, zavedu tě do ráje), Lenka Kořínková (Nemáme žádnou šanci), sbor (Nemáme žádnou šanci)
Choreographer
Gustav Voborník
Production info
Original Title
Jak svět přichází o básníky
English Title
How the World Loses Poets
Copyright
1982
Production Year
1982
Premiere
12.11.1982
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Technical info
Format
35mm , Betacam, DVD
Versions
Czech