Sun, Hay and Strawberries
Typology
featureCzech title
Slunce seno jahodyRuntime
83Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1983Production year
1983Premiere
01.09.1984Language version
CzechDirector
Zdeněk TroškaSummary
Zdeněk Troška shot two films in 1983: school comedy Bota jménem Melichar (Melichar the Boot) and village comedy Slunce, seno, jahody (Sun, Hay and Strawberries). The latter picture paved the way for the most popular titles in the filmography of the young debuting filmmaker: sequels Slunce, seno a pár facek (Sun, Hay and Slaps, 1989) and Slunce, seno, erotika (Sun, Hay and Erotic, 1991), and the Kameňák (Bad Joke, 2003-2005) and Babovřesky (Old Hag’s Yells, 2013-2015) trilogies. The first part of the Sun, Hay… series, set in the South Bohemian village of Hoštice, presents the fictional, idyllic world of a Czech village created by Troška and screenwriter Petr Markov. An agricultural college student, Šimon Plánička, arrives at the local JZD farming cooperative to put to the test his theory that a cow’s milk yield is linked to the animal’s cultural environment. While he succeeds in his experiment with the vicar Otík’s cow, the bovines in the cooperative fail to respond to the music played to them. Meanwhile, suspicions arise that Šimon is the son of the regional agricultural administration’s chairman. Blažena Škopková, daughter of the research student’s landlady, is tasked with finding out, but her efforts only trigger jealousy in her boyfriend Venca… Troška’s Hoštice is a village of oddball characters that fit in well with the tradition of popular comedies enhanced by the “carefree” period of the summer holidays. Energetic mother Škopková, Otík who has elevated spying on neighbours to a divine mission, prim but musical school director Ms. Hubičková, the infantile grandmother spending all her days in a bed on wheels outside the house, and tireless informer Keliška – they are just some of the characters whose jovial words long ago made it into public banter. In this first part of the series centred on the village of Hoštice, Troška proves himself a truly spontaneous narrator of humorous tales, with a talent for creating a genuinely poetic atmosphere, something which experienced cameraman Josef Hanuš helps to evoke. These qualities unfortunately began to wane in the sequels, unlike the director’s ability to assemble and harmonise actors and non-actors who often went on to complete further collaborations with the director in later pictures. Examples of this are experienced actress Helena Růžičková and Pavel Kikinčuk, who debuted in the role of Šimon and became an integral part of the later Old Hag’s Yells series.
Synopsis
A student of the agricultural college, imon Plánička, arrives at a South-Bohemian village for a summer temporary job. He has to jump out of the railcar while it is still moving - the train is delayed and if it stopped, the delay would increase. imon has an experiment how to increase the cows' milk yield prepared for the local agricultural coooperative: to beautify the cowsheds and play music to the cows while milking. The cooperative's chairman does not want to hear anything about the experiment. For the moment, he accomodates the young man with the kopkas family, commanded by the vigorous Mrs kopková. imon does not want to give up his experiment and finally gets a cow which belongs to the village priest. The cow indeed produces substantially more milk than before the experiment. The cooperative's management hesitates and moreover the news spreads that imon is son of the regional cooperative administration's director. The kopkas' daughter Blaena is entrusted to find the truth during a village hop. Blaena's boyfriend Venca does not like the plan and begins to be jealous. In the middle of the hop, the villagers notice an enormous full moon and Mrs schoolmaster immediately sings an opera aria about the moon. The cooperative's management allows imon to repeat his experiment in the cowsheds. The kopkas family has trouble with their immobile grandmother who sometimes indulges in malicious pranks which make her relatives' lives a misery. The cooperative cows, however, do not want to yield more milk even when listening to music. Blaena is pregnant and Venca is suspicious that the future child is imon's. But Blaena proves to him that she was faithful to him. A delegation from the regional administration arrives at the village, including the father Plánička who had no idea about his son's activities. He wants to talk to him but the reconciled lovers Blaena and Venca help imon run away. This time, he must jump onto the moving train.
Note
Free second and third parts were filmed by director Zdeněk Troška under the titles Sun, Hay and Slaps (1989) and Sun, Hay, Erotic (1991).
Film online
Photos
Cast
Pavel Kikinčuk
brigádník Šimon Plánička
Bronislav Černý
instalatér Venca Konopník
Veronika Kánská
Blažena Škopková, Vencova dívka
Petra Pyšová
servírka Miluna
Helena Růžičková
Mařenka Škopková, Blaženina matka
Stanislav Tříska
Vladimír Škopek, Mařenčin muž
Arnoštka Červená
babička Škopkových
Martin Šotola
Jirka, syn Škopkových
Miroslav Zounar
předseda JZD Pepa Rádl
Jiří Lábus
živočichář Béďa
Pavel Vondruška
tajemník Mošna
Jaroslava Kretschmerová
sekretářka JZD Eva Pilátová zvaná Evík
Luděk Kopřiva
farář Otík
Vlastimila Vlková
farářova hospodyně Cecilka
Vlasta Mészárosová
průvodčí Helenka
Jiří Kostka
děda Zvoníček
Karel Engel
Rudík Sobotka
Hana Čížková
Sobotkova žena
Jiřina Jirásková
řídící Václavka Hubičková
Martin Wolf
závozník Eda
Jiří Janda
hospodský Jaroušek
Jiří Růžička
tlustý Josef
Jiřina Jelenská
Rádlová, předsedova žena
Oleg Reif
ředitel zemědělské správy Plánička
Alena Karešová
Pláničkova žena
Marie Sládková
Mošnova žena
Marie Pilátová
Vlasta Konopníková, Vencova matka
Václav Troška
Konopník, Vlastin muž
Vladimír Chvosta
Vencův kamarád
Michal Kepl
Vencův kamarád
Josef Bolard
Vencův kamarád
Marie Soukupová
Matoušková
Marie Švecová
drbna Mařenka Kelišová zvaná Keliška
Oldřich Smetana
Vlček
Libuše Fialová
sousedka
Bedřiška Kelišová
sousedka
Marie Pikhartová
sousedka
Miloslava Ratajová
sousedka
Blažena Votavová
sousedka
Richard Kepl
Karel Brázda
hudebník
František Chalupecký
hudebník
Miroslav Lukeš
hudebník
Jan Novotný (5)
hudebník
Václav Soukup
hudebník
František Jákl
dubl za Kikinčuka
Jaroslav Tomsa
kaskadér
obyvatelé obce Hoštice u Volyně
vesničané
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Petr Slabý, Rudolf Jokl, Eva Truchlá
Screenstory
Screenplay
Script Editor
Camera
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Set Designer
Karel Kracík, Miloš Sršeň, Milan Šefrna
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Rudolf Mos, Hana Štefanová
Unit Production Manager
René Kořenář, Přemysl Čermák
Cooperation
Renata Čihulková, Růžena Hejsková, Jan Zázvorka ml., Helena Lehovcová, Alena Červená
Music
Music Composed by
Selected Music
Antonín Dvořák (Rusalka /Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém/ – árie ), Bedřich Smetana (Tajemství /Sbor poutníků/), Petr Iljič Čajkovskij (Klavírní koncert b moll), Vilém Blodek (V studni /Mladá láska to je ráj/)
Music Performed by
Orchestr Karla Vágnera
Music Conducted by
Karel Vágner (Orchestr Karla Vágnera)
Songs
V pohodě, Auťák na lásku, Trnky brnky – polka, U panského dvora, Pionýři, pionýři, malované děti (/parafráze na Huláni, huláni/), Tancuj, tancuj, vykrúcaj, Šla Nanynka do zelí, Pod našima okny teče vodička, Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém, Já jsem malý mysliveček, Mladá láska to je ráj, Ty křenovský luka, Dva docenti
Songwriter
lidová píseň (U panského dvora), Antonín Dvořák (Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém), Vilém Blodek (Mladá láska to je ráj), lidová píseň (Ty křenovský luka), Ivan Mládek (Dva docenti ), Karel Vágner (V pohodě), Karel Vágner (Auťák na lásku)
Writer of Lyrics
Jan Krůta (V pohodě), Pavel Žák (Auťák na lásku), František Jaroslav Vacek-Kamenický (U panského dvora), Jaroslav Kvapil (Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém), Karel Sabina (Mladá láska to je ráj), Ivan Mládek (Dva docenti )
Singer
Hana Zagorová (V pohodě), Petr Kotvald (V pohodě), Stanislav Hložek (V pohodě), Hana Zagorová (Auťák na lásku), Petr Kotvald (Auťák na lásku), Stanislav Hložek (Auťák na lásku), ženský sbor (Trnky brnky – polka), dětský sbor (Pionýři, pionýři, malované děti), ženský sbor (Tancuj, tancuj, vykrúcaj), Erna Červená (Šla Nanynka do zelí), sbor (Pod našima okny teče vodička), Jiřina Jirásková (Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém), sbor (Já jsem malý mysliveček), Jiřina Jirásková (Mladá láska to je ráj), sbor (Ty křenovský luka), Ivan Mládek (Dva docenti )
Production info
Original Title
Slunce seno jahody
English Title
Sun, Hay and Strawberries
Working Title
Ta naše vesnička česká /scénář/
Copyright
1983
Production Year
1983
Premiere
01.09.1984
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Creative Group
Technical info
Versions
Czech