The Birthday of the Film Director Z. K.

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1987

Production year

1987

Premiere

1 March 1988

Runtime

129 min

Director

Jaroslav Balík

Genre

narrative

Typology

featurelong

Original title

Narozeniny režiséra Z. K.

Czech title

Narozeniny režiséra Z. K.

English title

The Birthday of the Film Director Z. K.

Summary

Jaroslav Balík’s last film is a partly autobiographical drama in which the then 63-year-old director retells the early years of his directing career (1946–1949). Celebrating his 60th birthday, the protagonist reminisces on the post-war years. The newly nationalised film industry has clashed with the prejudices of conservative old-timers who hope for the return of the commercially-oriented pre-war era. Against them stands the progressive, leftist young filmmakers, such as assistant director Zdenek Kalina. In his ambition to be accepted to the newly established Film Academy, he marries Hanka, a wealthy and well-connected actress (Veronika Gajerová). Jiří Sedláček stars as the young Kalina; Rudolf Hrušínský lends his talent as the voice of Kalina’s older self, looking back upon his long directing career.

Synopsis

The film director Z. K. celebrates his sixtieth birthday and a camera substituting for his eyes looks around the congratulators – actors, cameramen, sound engineers. Z. K. has known many of them for years and he really respects only a few. In his memories, he returns to the period shortly after the war when he began at the Barrandov film studios. Both the cinematographic production and distribution had just recently been nationalized and the political discords in society also reflect themselves in the filmmakers' circles. The young and beginning ones are usually of leftist orientation while the old practitioners hope that everything would soon return to the pre-war commercial conditions. The very young scriptwriter Magda aspires to become a camerawoman and prepares for exams at the newly established film school. Also the assistant Zdenek wants to study – for the moment, he is the last grip but certainly a future successful film director. In the meantime, he competes for Magda's favour with the young communist Josef, who earns some extra money to cover his study expenses. Director Z. K. recalls some minor events. The cashier Hrubá again met the love of her life – a man who emigrated before the war and she married another after a while. The ambitious assistant Zbyněk marries the actor Hana from a wealthy family. Both Magda and Zdenek are admitted to the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Some filmmakers emigrate to the West after the February 1948 developments. The story returns to the present. Director Z. K. films his new movie in the Wenceslas Square in Prague.

Photos

hudebník

M. Šmaterová

hudebnice

Jindřich Vácha

Assistant Director

Josef Basakin, Eva Kubesová

Set Designer

Bedřich Čermák, Jaroslav Lehman, Ivan Ernyei, Jan Petrů, Rudolf Beneš

Costume Designer

Zdeněk Šánský

Costumes

Věra Mírová, Marie Charvátová

Make-Up Artist

Jana Dolejší, Jaroslav Šámal, Růžena Plašilová

Film Editor

Eva Bobková

Sound Designer

Jiří Kříž

Production Manager

Jaroslav Bouček

Unit Production Manager

Pavel Nový, Jan Peterka, Jitka Hoferková

Unit Production Manager

Michal Přikryl

Consultant

Miloslav Hůrka, Vojtěch Kuthan

Cooperation

Milan Pecák, Alice Lašková, Petr Pištěk, Michal Krška, Helena Lehovcová, Magda Hájková, Vladimír Souček

Music

Music Composed by

Milan Svoboda

Selected Music

Fryderyk Chopin (Lento)

Music Performed by

Studiová skupina Milana Svobody, Nový orchestr Jaroslava Ježka

Music Conducted by

Milan Svoboda (Studiová skupina Milana Svobody), Zoltán Liška (Nový orchestr Jaroslava Ježka)

Songs

Cvrček muzikant, Když mlha padá, Noční motýl, A Juli a Juli a Juliána

Songwriter

Kamil Běhounek (Cvrček muzikant), Kamil Běhounek (Když mlha padá), Johann Strauss ml. (Noční motýl)

Writer of Lyrics

Karel Kozel (Cvrček muzikant), Karel Kozel (Když mlha padá), K. M. Walló (Noční motýl)

Singer

Bajo trio 81 (Cvrček muzikant), Bajo trio 81 (Když mlha padá), ženský hlas (Noční motýl), sbor (A Juli a Juli a Juliána)

Production info

Original Title

Narozeniny režiséra Z. K.

English Title

The Birthday of the Film Director Z. K.

Typology

feature

Genre

narrative

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1987

Production Year

1987

Premiere

1 March 1988

Production

Filmové studio Barrandov, Slovenská filmová tvorba Bratislava, Štúdio hraných filmov Bratislava-Koliba

Copyright Holders

Státní fond kinematografie

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů

Creative Group

Miloslav Vydra, Peter Kováčik

Sales

Národní filmový archiv, Obchodní oddělení

Technical info

Lenght

long

Runtime

129 min

Versions

Czech

The Birthday of the Film Director Z. K.

Country

Copyright

Production year

Premiere

Runtime

Director

Category

Genre

Typology

Original title

Czech title

English title

Summary

Synopsis

Photos

Cast

Viliam Paulíny

Miroslav Hrabušický

René Michalička

Viera Hladká

Ladislav Kocourek

Alena Rychetská

Felix Nevřela

Andrea Sousedíková

P. Blažíček

M. Cais

JUDr. M. Fořt

J. Kulhánek

K. Milerová

M. Bartáková

J. Freiburg

I. Heřmánková

H. Hnyková

Jiří Kalla

A. Krňoul

Zoltán Liška

Z. Mayer

M. Náprstek

K. Průša

Otakar Procházka (2)

M. Schovánek

J. Smolík

H. Suková

Josef Svejkovský

M. Šmaterová

Jindřich Vácha

Jan Verner

A. Vopelka

Dubbing

Crew and creators

Director

Second Unit Director

Assistant Director

Screenstory

Screenplay

Shooting Script

Script Editor

Camera

Second Unit Photography

Camera Operator

Production Designer

Set Designer

Costume Designer

Costumes