From the makers of legendary CZECH DREAM, comes the big story of STAR WARS, the COLD WAR and the WAR ON TERROR all coming to a head in a small Czech village. CZECH PEACE Directed by: VÍt KlusÁk and Filip Remunda Czech Republic, UK 2010 35 mm / HD = 104 HD = 57 & 52 To view the teaser please go to: http://vimeo.com/3056846 To download high resolution stills go to: http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/specialy/ceskymir/fotogalerie.php WORLD SALES: TASKOVSKI FILMS Ltd. 463 Russell Court Woburn Place London WC1H 0NL (UK) T: +44 7977 051 577 E: sales@taskovskifilms.com www.taskovskifilms.com 1
INTRODUCTION In 2004 Vit Klusak and Filip Remunda gave us CZECH DREAM, the documentary about the hoax hypermarket, which satirized our consumerist desires and our willingness to be manipulated. The film proved to be a massive hit, both with the critics and with the cinema and TV audiences the world over. Michael Moore called the film exhilarating, recognizing its visionary quality, Morgan Spurlock declared the film was genius and decided to set up his own DVD label featuring CZECH DREAM as its first title. CZECH DREAM went on to become one of the most successful European documentaries of all times. Today, Taskovski Films are very proud to announce the arrival of CZECH PEACE, the hotly anticipated follow up to CZECH DREAM. Revolving around the divisive plans to build a US missile defense base on Czech territory, CZECH PEACE is a chronicle of history in the making, as it features both, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. With the directors trademark wit, intelligence, and the razor sharp taste for absurdist humour, CZECH PEACE is an indictment of modern Western democracies told through the story of Mayor of Trokavec village (population 80) who decides to take the US on and stop the construction of the radar. Featuring the statesmen, lobbyists, peace activists, and ordinary folk, the film cleverly shows the workings of global geopolitics and the way they affect the little people. The international premiere of CZECH PEACE took place on the 30 th July 2010 at Traverse City Film Festival, USA. Michael Moore, the founder of the festival, continues to show great enthusiasm for Klusak s and Remunda s work, so it seemed fitting that such a political and subversive film should start its international festival life there. 2
CREDITS Scriptwriters and Directors: VÍt Klusák and Filip Remunda DOP and Film Editor: VÍt Klusák Executive Producers: Filip Remunda Irena Taskovski Sound Recordists: Michal Gábor and David Nagy Sound Designer and Mixer: Václav Flegl and Martin JÍlek Graphics: Radim Peško Poster artist: Zdenâk Danâk Production manager: Tereza Horská Production coordinator Czech TV: Roman Blaas Producers: Hypermarket Film VÍt Klusák and Filip Remunda Taskovski Films Irena Taskovski Czech Television Script editor Hypermarket Film: Jan Gogola jr., Martin MareČek Script editor Czech TV: Jana Hádková Visual post-production: AVION Sound post-production: SOUNDSQUARE Music: Midi Lidi 3
SYNOPSIS From the makers of legendary CZECH DREAM, a hilarious documentary about a hoax hypermarket, comes CZECH PEACE, a new playfully explosive film about the mayor of a small Czech village and his attempts to foil the American plan to build its 762 nd military base right on his doorstep. The players in this story are everyone from villagers to George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Barack Obama, peace activists and lobbyists representing American arms manufacturers. Can the Mayor of Trokavec (population 80) take the US on? CZECH PEACE shows the workings of geopolitics and the way they affect the little people. The personal clashes with the impersonal, the specific with the universal, and an individual with the so-called great history. HELLO RADAR, SIMPLY WELCOME. WE RE DELIGHTED YOU RE HERE. HELLO RADAR, I APPLAUD YOU. WE WAVE YOUR FLAG AND CHEER! This is the chorus from the bizarre pop song the Czech Defense Minister commissioned to commemorate George W. Bush s 2008 visit to Czech Republic. Unfortunately for them, the CD ended up in the mischievous hands of Klusak & Remunda To see Klusak s and Remunda s music promo based on the commemorative song, please go to: http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/specialy/ceskymir/video.php 4
ABOUT THE CONCEPTION AND MAKING OF CZECH PEACE An interview with Vit Klusak and Filip Remunda Q: How did you first encounter the topic of the radar and why did this topic capture your interest? K&R: The basic impetus that led to the creation of the film was the sight of the unexpectedly intense passions so vehemently for, and even more vehemently against which surfaced in January 2007 when the Americans officially requested the radar s placement from the Czech government. Paradoxically both sides warned very persuasively that terrorism, or even a war with Russia would destroy the Czech lands. The scaremongery was throwing gas on the fire of public debate. By summer, we couldn t stand by any longer, and we started filming. We found it to be an ideal topic for a slapstick about democracy. Q: How long did you follow the fate of the radar? How much time did you spend on it and how much footage did you end up shooting? We filmed for nearly three years and edited for a year. Altogether we shot 124 hours of source material. Q: In what way is CZECH PEACE similar to CZECH DREAM (as a film/topic)? And in what way is it different? K&R: In some way, CZECH PEACE is almost comically similar to CZECH DREAM. So much noise, newsprint, hullabaloo and passion over a mirage. In CZECH DREAM, a crowd surged toward a painted canvas in the belief that a shopping heaven waited behind it. And in CZECH PEACE two camps passionately feuded over something that Obama canceled in a short midnight telephone call with a single wave of presidential wand. We think that Kafka and Hašek would have a jolly time with these events, if they had lived to see them. The primary difference between the two films is that CZECH PEACE deals with a much broader, global issue, and that is of the workings of the modern Western democracies. While CZECH DREAM took place and was filmed entirely in the Czech Republic, with CZECH PEACE we traveled the world and filmed in, for instance, the Oval Office and the Pentagon. We even filmed in parts of the Pentagon where supposedly no camera has ever been before. Another similarity between the two films is the involvement of the film crew in the action in front of the cameras. For example, in CZECH PEACE the Military Police use force to escort the film crew out of the military zone, and the sound technician flees the hunt in the forest in fear that he might accidentally be shot in the heat of the moment. Q: What do you think is unique or interesting about the film, and why should people come to see the film? K&R: CZECH PEACE is unique because it goes behind the scene, and shows us all the absurdity of the radar conflict using larger-than-life humor. People have read about the radar or heard about it on TV, but we were there where it was happening with a camera to record the unexpected. It s a relief to laugh at self-centered politicians, and at one s own self We filmed, for example, how Czech Prime Minister Topolánek preened in the Oval Office. We also filmed the suspenseful guerrilla-war-like chase in the Brdy Mountain between the police and peace activists And last but not least, CZECH PEACE is also unique because we have hidden a secret red message in the film 5
Q: Who are the main players in the film? K&R: You will see Barack Obama, George Bush, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek, Condoleezza Rice, Czech Defense Minister Vlasta Parkanová, who commissioned the ridiculous pop song to commemorate George W Bush s visit to Czech Republic. You will also see the peace activists and the ordinary folk, as well as a domesticated wild-boar named Jonaš. You will visit the Oval Office in the White House, the Pentagon and the clearings and woods in Brdy Mountain, the location of the Czech army base elevation spot point 718. Q: Isn t it an outdated topic, given that the radar plan has been cancelled? What do you think it shows that is of greater and timeless interest? K&R: CZECH PEACE isn t a film about the radar as some sort of military installation that could have been built but won t be built. We believe this is a comedy about the character and quality of not just Czech, but modern Western democracies in general. CZECH PEACE is universal, in so far as it is about the workings of global geopolitics and the way they affect the little people. Specifically the film deals with the radar as a phenomenon that divided Czech society. The people from both sides of the argument took to the streets to protest, but their protests made hardly any impact, until the day America elected a new president who canceled the radar in a short telephone conversation with the Czech prime minister. But in more general terms, the film shows how the ordinary people are manipulated by the very politicians who have been elected to serve them. Q: Are Czechs more threatened by Russians, or by Americans? Do you side with the radar supporters, or opponents? Or are you striving for an impartial perspective? K&R: We are most threatened by fear. Those who are afraid are the easiest to manipulate. During the Cold War the media scared us with a war threat coming from the West; after 9/11 they scared us with Islamists, and now it seems to be Russia s turn. Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek told an anti-radar rally in Prague that the Czech Republic, like Slovenia, has no chance to be economically independent, but politically both countries should try to fight attempts by larger powers to control them. As for our perspective our principle was not to patronize anyone or judge any side. But in the end the film came out with an opinion and viewers should come to the cinemas to find out what that is. Q: Were you surprised by any situation that came up during the filming that you really didn t expect? K&R: We were disappointed that the Czech government barred us from the government plane when Prime Minister Topolánek went to visit President Bush. Apparently there was some fun to be had on board. The stewardesses screamed in fright. You see, the Prime Minister was playing with the shotgun he was bringing to President Bush as a gift. And on another occasion, someone called us from a hidden phone number and introduced themselves as a journalist from New Zealand and then asked if we were planning to use our film to influence the voting in Parliament over the Czech-American pact. 6
DIRECTORS FILMOGRAPHIES VÍt Klusák (*1980) Graduate of the Department of Documentary Film at FAMU (Film and Television School of the Academy of Performing Arts) Prague, since 2005 he has been teaching in the same department ( Film Narration seminar). He studied photography at the Industrial Graphic Arts School in Prague and has had two solo shows of photography. At present, in addition to the Nošovice project, he is preparing a black comedy film My Three Brothers based on the fairy tale of the same name by the Czech writer Karel Jaromír Erben. Vít Klusák is married, and lives in Prague. He runs the independent production company Hypermarket Film Ltd. Selected Filmography: ORIGIN OF THE WORLD [17 min, 1999] DIGESTIVE [10 min., 2000] JAZZ WAR [22 min., 2001) HEAVEN [30 min., 2003] CZECH DREAM [100 min, 2004] INTERMISSION [7 min., 2006] CZECH PEACE [104 min, 2010] Filip Remunda (*1973) Filip Remunda is a Czech director, cinematographer and producer. In 2005 he graduated at FAMU documentary directing department in the workshop of Karel Vachek. His film, Village B., was named best documentary film at the 2002 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and at the 2003 FAMU Festival, and it received the Don Quixote Award at the 2003 Art Film festival, as well as several other prizes at festivals in Europe and the United States. During his studies he attended the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School in Jerusalem. He lectured at the Flaherty Documentary Seminar in the USA. Filip Remunda is the cofounder of the Institute of Documentary Film (www.docuinter.net). He runs the independent production company Hypermarket Film Ltd. Selected Filmography: NEW NAMES FOR OLD FRIENDS [40 min., 1999] HILARY AND CHRIS ON THE ROAD [16 min., 1999] CITY OF ANGELS [25 min., 2000] VILLAGE B. [30 min., 2002] A.B.C.D.T.O.P.O.L. [73 min., 2003] CZECH DREAM [87 min., 2004] FILM ENCOUNTERS [40 min., 2007] THE TADPOLE, THE RABBIT AND THE HOLLY GHOST [26 min., 2007] CZECH PEACE [104 min., 2010] PRODUCTION COMPANY PROFILE Hypermarket Film is a European independent documentary production company with a wellestablished position in the Czech Republic and EU. Filip Remunda and Vít Klusák established it in 2003. Their first feature documentary, CZECH DREAM, was shown in both cinemas and TV stations in more than 30 countries worldwide (ZDF/ARTE, CHANNEL 4, SBS, YLE, ORF, VPRO, LICHTPUNT, NOGA TV ). The company s goal is to support provocative and original ideas and cooperate with young talented filmmakers from Central and Eastern Europe. 7
CZECH DREAM AWARDS A SELECTION Golden Gate Award for Best Documentary Feature 48 th San Francisco IFF 2005 (USA) Best Documentary Film Award at Michael Moore s Traverse City Film Festival 2005 (USA) JJ-Star Award Jeonju International Film Festival 2005 (SOUTH KOREA) Golden Knight Award for the Best Directing Chelyabinsk Film Festival 2005 (RUSSIA) FIPRESCI Award; International Film Festival Ljubljana 2004 (SLOVENIA) People s Choice Award for the best film at the 45 th Cracow Film Festival 2005 (POLAND) Best Czech Documentary Award 2004 and Audience Award International Documentary Festival Jihlava 2004 (CZECH REPUBLIC) HYPERMARKET FILM Ltd. Osadní 6 CZ 170 00 Praha 7 (Czech Republic) T: +420 222 937 341 E: email@hypermarketfilm.cz www.hypermarketfilm.cz www.ceskymir.cz 8