Closed Circuit

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1989

Production year

1989

Premiere

1 May 1989

Runtime

98 min

Director

Václav Matějka

Genre

drama

Typology

featurelong

Original title

Uzavřený okruh

Czech title

Uzavřený okruh

English title

Closed Circuit

Summary

This 1989 film from director Václav Matějka seeks to tell an environmental and ethical tale set in the world of manufacturing. Uzavřený okruh (Closed Circuit, 1989) is inspired by the short story Slunce pro můj den (Sun for My Day) from author Jiří S. Kupka, who also contributed to the screenplay adaptation. The story describes a clash between two morally contrasting expert professionals: experienced engineer Zikmund (Ladislav Lakomý), whose projects regularly cause environmental devastation, and the environmentally enlightened young engineer Karel Kalaš (Pavol Višňovský). Despite the fact that Zikmund’s daughter is engaged to the son of an ore mine director, she develops a relationship with Karel. The affair results in the death of an innocent bicyclist, Karel’s imprisonment, and his resignation from the “closed circuit” world of opportunism and power.

Synopsis

The big industrial enterprises cause an ecological catastrophe in the Dřínovské Mountains. The enemies are the so-called captains of Czechoslovak industry, linked in a "closed circuit" by mutual services, favouritism and bribes with those in power at the regional offices and the Prague ministry. One of them is an engineer called Zikmund whose construction project of yet another steelworks will result in total devastation of the countryside. A rather different project was put together by a young engineer called Honza Kala, in collaboration with the ecologists. It is based on a "closed circuit" of wasteless technology. At a mascarade ball, Honza meets Zikmund's daughter Karla who flirts with him openly although she is engaged to the son of the general director of the ore mines, Burda. Karla and Honza soon become lovers. Honza does not cease fighting for his project even though his ex-wife Marta, a lawyer, indicates to him that he has no chance. Zikmund, learning about his daughter's affair with Kala, flies into a rage and insists on her immediate wedding with the young Burda. Honza says goodbye to Karla at a cottage and gets drunk. Karla is driving on the way back and runs down a cyclist who later dies. The girl runs away and leaves the sleeping Honza in the car. He, however, does not remember anything the next day. Karla obeys her father's advice and claims that it was Honza who was driving. Zikmund's influential contacts interfere at the court and Honza is sentenced to four years in prison. Zikmund's project wins the competition and the construction is launched. But two years later it turns out that the construction cannot be continued according to the plans, and Zikmund must rework the project. He unscrupulously uses Honza's ideas. Honza is released from prison and finds work at a sawmill. He does not want to return to his previous profession - he cannot reconcile himself with the success of people like Zikmund and his daughter who are capable of destroying everything and everybody.

Marta Pospíchalová

Alexova manželka

Jana Krišicová

Hanička

Vladimír Pospíšil

předseda komise Fajtl

Isabela Siegelová

sekretářka Soňa

Jana Rubášová (2)

Miss Evropa

Miroslav Grác

Vávra

Jan Kriesman

vězeň Francl

Jolana Maurerová

Boženka, Karasova žena

Karel Brožek

šéfredaktor

Zdeněk Dolanský

redaktor

Taťána Bártová

barmanka

H. Soukup

osvětlovač TV

M. Rada

produkční TV

Jan Drašnar

muzikant

Aleš Duša

muzikant

O. Mucha

muzikant

Radek Podroužek

muzikant

M. Potoček

muzikant

Jan Prokeš (4)

muzikant

B. Sailer

muzikant

Pavel Skála (4)

muzikant

Michal Šenbauer

muzikant

J. Škop

muzikant

Jiří Vondráček

muzikant

skupina Naima

František Kop

muzikant v Rubínu

Martin Šulc

muzikant v Rubínu

Zdeněk Zdeněk

muzikant v Rubínu

Věra Tichánková

tetka

Jindřich Khain

lesník

Bedřich Kovrzek

Tonda Ras

Roman Janoušek

tenista

J. Kaška

barman v Rubínu

P. Čermáková

Karlina kamarádka

Martina Gasparovičová

Karlina kamarádka

Barbora Lukešová

úřednice

skupina Galapetr

L. Poupě

harmonikář

Crew and creators

Director

Václav Matějka

Second Unit Director

Josef Sandr

Assistant Director

Oskar Reif, Michaela Kopřivová

Screenstory

Jiří S. Kupka

Based on

Jiří S. Kupka (Slunce pro můj den – filmová povídka)

Camera Operator

Michal Škoda

Production Designer

Jaromír Švarc

Art Director

Josef Mysliveček (autor obrazů)

Set Designer

Bedřich Čermák, Rudolf Beneš, Jaroslav Lehman

Costume Designer

Dimitrij Kadrnožka

Costumes

Jaroslava Adámková, Karolína Jelínková

Make-Up Artist

Jana Dolejší, Blanka Haltufová, Jaroslav Šámal

Film Editor

Jan Svoboda

Sound Designer

Jiří Hora, Jiří Zobač

Stunts

Simona Jáklová (dubl za Veroniku Jeníkovou)

Production Manager

Petr Čapek

Unit Production Manager

Daniela Jenčíková, Josef Štambach

Unit Production Manager

Milan Maňák

Consultant

JUDr. Jan Dyk, JUDr. František Fiala, RNDr. Karel Friedel, ak. arch. Milan Podzemný, RNDr. Pavel Štrunc

Cooperation

Milada Adámková, Ivan Balurov, Ivan Minář

Music

Music Composed by

Jiří F. Svoboda

Music Performed by

FISYO

Music Conducted by

Mario Klemens (FISYO)

Songs

Já sny mám, Pod jalovec sedla, Árie měsíce

Songwriter

Jiří F. Svoboda (Já sny mám), Jiří Šlitr (Árie měsíce)

Writer of Lyrics

Pavel Vrba (Já sny mám), Jiří Suchý (Árie měsíce)

Singer

Lucie Bílá (Já sny mám), sbor (Pod jalovec sedla), Karel Heřmánek (Árie měsíce), Pavol Višňovský [dab] (Árie měsíce), Ladislav Mrkvička (Árie měsíce)

Music Supervisor

Jiří Zobač

Production info

Original Title

Uzavřený okruh

English Title

Closed Circuit

Typology

feature

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1989

Production Year

1989

Premiere

1 May 1989

Production

Filmové studio Barrandov

Copyright Holders

Státní fond kinematografie

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů

Creative Group

Josef Císař

Sales

Národní filmový archiv, Obchodní oddělení

Technical info

Lenght

long

Runtime

98 min

Versions

Czech

Closed Circuit

Country

Copyright

Production year

Premiere

Runtime

Director

Category

Genre

Typology

Original title

Czech title

English title

Summary

Synopsis

Photos

Cast

Marta Pospíchalová

Jana Krišicová

Jana Rubášová (2)

Miroslav Grác

Jan Kriesman

Jolana Maurerová

Taťána Bártová

H. Soukup

M. Rada

Jan Drašnar

Aleš Duša

O. Mucha

Radek Podroužek

M. Potoček

Jan Prokeš (4)

B. Sailer

Pavel Skála (4)

Michal Šenbauer

J. Škop

skupina Naima

Martin Šulc

Zdeněk Zdeněk

Bedřich Kovrzek

Roman Janoušek

J. Kaška

P. Čermáková

Martina Gasparovičová

skupina Galapetr

L. Poupě

Dubbing

Crew and creators

Director

Second Unit Director

Assistant Director

Screenstory

Based on

Screenplay

Shooting Script

Script Editor

Camera

Second Unit Photography

Camera Operator

Production Designer

Art Director

Set Designer

Costume Designer

Costumes

Make-Up Artist

Film Editor

Sound Designer

Stunts

Production Manager

Unit Production Manager

Unit Production Manager

Consultant

Cooperation

Music

Music Composed by

Music Performed by

Music Conducted by

Songs

Songwriter

Writer of Lyrics