„As the admissions are very close to the full capacities of the opening cinemas we can expect another strong weekend," says the head of the production and also distribution company of Kajínek Igor Konyukov. „This is the first movie in which we participated as equal co-producers. So we are very pleased that we had a greater success than we expected."
Another co-producer is the company JBJ Films, owned by the scriptwriter and director of KAJÍNEK Petr Jákl. The former Czech judo champion and olympian started his career in film as a stuntman. Later he became an actor and after spending five years with the project he has now succeeded as the director.
KAJÍNEK is a crime thriller inspired by the story of Jiří Kajínek, who is considered to be the first hitman in post-communist Czech Republic. He was sentenced to life and is currently serving his term in a high-security Czech prison. Following his escape from Mírov prison in 2000, Jiří Kajínek became an instant legend--as well as the most wanted criminal in Europe. The five weeks during which time he eluded the police are still shrouded in mystery.
The movie is the powerful story of the most famous prisoner in the Czech Republic, the story of two murders, the story of a lawyer constantly looking for new evidence, the story of the underworld and of its infiltration into the state administration, and the story of political manipulation. Is Jiří Kajínek the victim of a conspiracy or a cold-blooded assassin? Is he trying to prove his innocence...or deceive the justice system?
Jiří Kajínek has nothing to lose. Sentenced to life imprisonment, he doesn't trust anyone but himself. He even suspects his young lawyer, who is trying to help him. She must find new evidence but soon finds out how dangerous it is to ask questions. Yet she is inexplicably attracted to his case (and Kajinek himself) and refuses to ask herself the fundamental question: What is her client hiding from her? What has Jiří Kajínek never told anyone before?
Expectations were also aroused thanks to the international cast. The title role is played by Russian actor Konstantin Lavroněnko, bearer of the Palm d‘Or at the Cannes film festival; his lawyer is portrayed by the Shooting Star of the Berlinale 2003 Tatiana Vilhelmová; the charismatic Polish star Boguslaw Linda also appears in the movie, as well as the German actor Werner Daehn.The international cast is also surrounded by the phenomenal czech actors Vladimír Dlouhý, Michal Dlouhý, Deana Jakubisková, Alice Bendová.
The Kajínek phenomenon
Jiří Kajínek was sentenced to life imprisonment for two murders and one attempted murder. He never confessed to these crimes, rather he accused both the police of having fabricated the lawsuit and the court of being prejudiced. Experts and the court qualified him as highly intelligent, able-bodied and dangerous.
He gripped the attention of the whole Czech Republic after his incredible escape from the Mirov prison, one of the most well guarded prisons in the country. He was apprehended only after an extensive five week manhunt.
Thanks to the interest of the media, numerous discrepancies were detected in the case, and later new testimonies were discovered. Three Ministers of Justice filed complaints for errors committed during the investigation. Numerous witnesses recanted their testimonies against Kajínek, stating they had testified under pressure from the police to make false statements. The state's evidence even refused to testify. On the contrary, other witnesses accuse Kajínek of manipulating public opinion and of intimidation.
Jiří Kajínek asked for the reopening of his lawsuit and his lawyer filed a complaint at the European court in Strasburg against the trial proceedings.
Jiří Kajínek receives numerous letters daily--including the occasional marriage proposal.
General information
http://www.kajinekfilm.cz/en/
Director: Petr Jákl
Director of photography: F.A. Brabec
Writer:Petr Jákl, Marek Dobeš
Music: Václav „Noid" Bárta
Cast: Konstantin Lavroněnko, Tatiana Vilhelmová, Boguslaw Linda, Michal
Dlouhý, Vladimír Dlouhý, Werner Daehn, Václav Noid Bárta, Deana Horváthová-Jakubisková, Ken Duken, Alice Bendová
Producer: J.B.J Film, Hollywood Classic Entertainment
Distributor: Hollywood Classic Entertainment
Premiere in Czech Republic: August 5th 2010
The first weekend statistics: 119 602 Admissions, box office 15 538 624 CzK
Premiere in the Slovak Republic: August 12th 2010
