10-09-2008

Gdynia Polish Film Festival Spotlight: The Brothers Karamazov

By Krzysztof Kwiatkowski

    Czech Velvet Wave director Petr Zelenka's Polish-Czech co-production The Brothers Karamazov is a film adaptation of his stage success based on a rehearsal of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel staged in a factory in Nowa Huta.

    The producers are Prvni verejnopravni s.r.o., (Czech Republic) and Warsaw Pact Film Production. The film is co-produced by Czech public television. Active Image1 million out of the 3.5 million zlotys budget was provided by the Polish Film Institute. The production was also supported from the Eurimages fund (200,000 euro) and the Czech State Fund for Cinematography.

    Zelenka authored such films as Year of the Devil, Buttoners, and Wrong Side Up, earning four screenplay nominations and two Czech Lion wins, along with two best director awards. Internationally he received the Golden Tiger at the Rotterdam film festival, the Grand Prix in Triest and the Crystal Globe in Karlovy Vary. In July, The Brothers Karamazov won the FIPRESCI award and the Special Jury Mention at Karlovy Vary.

    Active ImageThe cast includes Czech actors Ivan Trojan and Igor Chmela, both also popular in Poland, as well as the acclaimed Polish actor Andrzej Mastalerz. The music score was written by the Polish Oscar-winning composer, Jan A. P. Kaczmarek.

    Because the entire movie was not able to be shot on the plant's premises, only a small part of the shooting took place in Poland. The factory setting was recreated in the Czech village Hradek near Plzen. The film opened in the Czech Republic earlier this year. The Polish premiere is planned for early 2009, through distribution company Gutek Film.

    Directing: Petr Zelenka
    Screenplay: Petr Zelenka
    CinematographyAlexander Surkala:
    Music: Jan A. P. Kaczmarek
    Art direction: Barbara Ostapowicz
    Sound: Michal Holubec
    Film editing: Vladimir Barak, Miroveho Hnuti
    Costume Design: Martin Chocholousek
    Production Manager: Jan Kaczmarski, Barbora Kinkalova
    Production: Warsaw Pact Film Production Sp. z o. o., Prvni Verejnopravni
    Producers: Karolina Ochab, Kasia Adamik, Roman Wikieł, Cestmir Kopecky
    Co-producers: PISF, Ceska Televizie, Eurimages
    Executive Producer: Warsaw Pact Film Production Sp. z o. o.
    Distribution: Gutek Film
    World distribution: John Riley
    Country & year of production: Poland, Czech Republic 2008
    Cast:

    Lenka Krobotova
    Ivan Trojan
    Michaela Badinkova
    David Novotny
    Radek Holub
    Adrianna Miara
    Lucie Żackova
    Martin Mysicka
    Igor Chmela

    ____________________________

    Warsaw Pact Film Production

    Narbutta 32 lok.19
    02-541 Warsaw

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    Published in Poland
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