Psalm

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1965

Production year

1965

Runtime

14 min

Director

Evald Schorm

Category

film

Genre

agitprop

Typology

documentarytheatrical distributionshort

Original title

Žalm

Czech title

Žalm

English title

Psalm

Working title

Pražské ghetto

Summary

Evald Schorm's documentary Psalm is a visual reflection on the disappearing world of Jewish faith. Footage of the genius loci of forgotten Jewish cemeteries is accompanied by footage of a service in Prague's Old Synagogue, attended by a handful of worshippers. The image of the desolate and grass-covered graves is illustrated by expressive string accompaniment and commentary by actor Jan Kačer reciting Jewish prayers and psalms. The film was made for the Commission for the Promotion of Film Abroad. Among other things, it was shown in 1966 at the 12th West German Days of Short Films in Oberhausen, West Germany.

Synopsis

Old Jews gather in Prague's Old Synagogue to attend mass. The men sit separately from the women. During the service, they wear a gold-quilted scarf and pray intensively. An old rabbi presides over the service and reads from the Psalter. The cantor begins singing psalms and hymns, his voice echoing through the small space of the synagogue. The participants in the service contemplate life and death. Far from the synagogue, thousands of the dead are buried in old Jewish cemeteries, now often forgotten, and abandoned, yet beautiful in their own way, especially in their antiquity. Although the ancient Jewish cemetery in the Old City part of Prague is near the bustling city life, its quiet atmosphere is even more contradictory. The synagogue is also deeply quiet, punctuated only by the monotonous chants of the cantor. The old rabbi ascends to the altar to pick up the precious prayer scrolls - the Torah, carefully wrapped in precious fabric. He picks it up to pass it around the praying men. Each of them touches his hands to his lips and the Torah in a gesture that, by kissing it, he is paying respect to ancient traditions and beliefs. It is not only in Prague that there are still various Jewish cemeteries and graveyards scattered about, which are rarely visited anymore.

Note

The film was made for the Foreign Ministry's Foreign Film Promotion Commission. It was released as part of the composite programme called The Pier along with the films Citizen Karel Havlíček and the French films Immortal Goose and The Pier.

Film online

Commentary

Jan Kačer

česká verze

K. Stewart

anglická verze

Crew and creators

Director

Evald Schorm

Screenstory

Evald Schorm

Commentary by

PhDr. Jan Heřman

Director of Photography

Jan Špáta

Sound Designer

Jan Kindermann

Production Manager

Máša Charouzdová

Music

Music Composed by

Jan Klusák

Songs

Židovské žalmy

Singer mužský hlas

Locations

Praha, Josefov (Praha), Maiselova ulice (Josefov), Staronová synagoga (Maiselova ulice), Starý židovský hřbitov (Josefov)

Production info

Original Title

Žalm

Czech Title

Žalm

English Title

Psalm

Working Title

Pražské ghetto

Category

film

Typology

documentarytheatrical distribution

Genre

agitprop

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1965

Production Year

1965

Production specifications

projection approval 19 February 1966
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1990

Premiere

premiere 18 November 1966 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 16 December 1966 (kino Praha /1 týden/, Praha)
renewed premiere 1 April 1987 /suitable for youths/

Distribution slogan

no caption

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Technical info

Duration typology

short film

Duration in minutes

14 min

Original length in metres

389 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech, English

Dialogue languages

Czech, commentary

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech