1993

The film captures the tragi-comic atmosphere in the famous building between the National Museum and the State Theatre at the end of 1992 - in particular, the atmosphere of the lobby.

To decide to bring the State to an end, even if the end cannot be avoided, is not an easy one. Particularly when, at the beginning, all members proclaim their fundamental and opposing attitudes. The film shows the parliamentary community as it stands before an unusual task, it captures the uncertainty of fragile relations, attempts at negotiation, lack of communication, suspicion, tactics, the way the Members work and their theatrical performances. The camera follows them not only in the assembly hall but also out into the lobby after sessions. Despite the fact that the Deputies were willing to allow the film crew to watch them „on the sly“, the film also tries to go behind the scenes and the speeches in order to show, at least to a certain extent, how politics are made. Over the three months when the film-makers visited the Federal Assembly, the discussions about the termination of the common state transformed themselves into a drama full of apprehension and tension. With each new meeting, the film moves towards the funeral wake held in honour of the former Federation.

© F&S Foundation

The documentary film Dependency is a portrait of two drug addicts - one living in Bohemia and one living in Holland. It gives the viewer the opportunity to consider two possible ways to approach people dependent on drugs: the Czech way, chiefly repressive, and the pragmatic methods applied in Holland. As a double portrait of the same phenomenon the film also shows drug addicts' attempts to free themselves of their long dependency and a situation which which practically offers no solution.

© F&S Foundation

Rene has been in prison from the age of sixteen , with others he tried to rebel inside the prison and his punishment, originally for theft, was extended. We met him just before his eighteenth birthday in Libkovice. He was in the "dangerous" group because of the rebellion. After a time he was transferred to Plzen, now among adults. Life holds no interest for Rene, he has given up on his parents (they gave up on him when he was small, in fact), he doesn't even know how many other children they have. After the amnesty, he just hung about, no form of work interests him and he goes out stealing with his younger brother who is still a minor... History repeats itself and Rene asserts himself in his philosophy of life: to have good times while outside, then back to the prison and so it goes on. Then he is released again... The whole film is framed around Rene's letters to the director of the film. Rene is again released and he goes to apologise to her for completely robbing her flat during his last very short term of freedom ...

A unique film series begun by director Helena Trestikova in the spring of 1989 using an unusual and singular technique whereby the lives of the film subjects are filmed over a number of years and told within the confines of one film. The material was filmed in a correctional facility for young people in Libkovice over a period of between two and five years. The films capture not only the changes in the lives of the individual protagonists, but also the changes to the whole of society.

© F&S Foundation

This documentary film was made at the end of 1989, originally as part of a scientific project devised by American university professors John Borneman and Jeffrey M.Peck. The study is oriented towards the issue of German Jewish emigrants who, after the Second World War, decided to return to Germany. It was published in book form in the spring of 1994. Since, in the former GDR, this topic was never fully broached, the director of the film decided to devote his time talking to these emigrants who decided to return to a „better“ Germany, as they so believed. The first part of the interviews was made in September and October 1989 and it was also one of the first opportunities to bring this theme out into the open beyond the Berlin Wall. A year later, the film crew went back to visit their subjects in order to find out whether the reunification of Germany had changed their lives.

© Martin Pátek

In 1989 we began filming a quick-motion film about Jakub Spalek (filmed over a period of several years). At that time he was a student of acting in his last year at the Prague School of Dramatic Arts (DAMU) and had great plans for the future. About a week after filming began the Revolution broke out and Jakub became one of the student leaders. The Revolution ended, so did the student's strike and they subsequently put on a graduation production of "Danton's Death". Thus they completed their drama studies and hurled themselves into a new life. We continued to observe Jakub: he founded the "Kaspar" club, resisted a number of tempting offers of work and resolutely fought for his own independence. He studied a number of plays with the "Kaspar" club members - their main project was Cyrano. Then came the marvellous opportunity to perform in their own theatre - the Rokoko theatre in the centre of Prague. This was a fortuitous time: their own theatre drama concept, the public became their kindred souls. The company was succesful, they attracted both audiences and positive criticism. Also playing an equal role in the company is actor Jan Potmesil who, after a car accident in November 1989 , became disabled and is now confined to a wheelchair.

Problems for the group occured after a conflict with a discotheque which was housed in the same building. The theatre management did not support Jakub in his dispute - and it ended with the company's notice to quit the Rokoko. It was roughly at this time that our film - reports on three years in the life of Jakub Spalek - came to an end.

© F&S Foundation

The film gives a clearer picture of the various circumstances undermining the decision of female enterpreneurs to free themselves from dependency upon others and their resolve to join the process of economic transformation as individuals. The birth of their inventiveness, the subsequent process, the situation and the attitudes which have changed, the whole psychological   and sociological impact, the advantages and disadvantages, including the prospects for the future.

© F&S Foundation

The director Vít Hájek has been following the fate of the privatisation of the join-stock Insurance Company , one of the wealthiest companies in the Czech Republic,for over a year. He has gathered together the views of company's management, its employees and customers. This resulted in a "report on an insurance company" whose conclusions may also be applied to other privatised companies in many aspects.

The film is part of the cycle The Return of Enterprise to Bohemia.

© F&S Foundation

Amici is London dance group formed from the mentally and physically handicapped as well so called "normal" people. Each member of the group lives his or her own life, they meet once a week in order to enrich the lives of the others, so that they come to know one another and experience joy from common creative activities. The film Amici, Dancing with Friends, is a non-verbal communication involving touch, movement, dance and also mutual respect, one person's perception of another.

© P. Koutecký +  F&S Foundation