František Vláčil

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia František Vláčil (February 19, 1924, Český Těšín – January 28, 1999, Prague) was a Czech film director, painter, and graphic artist. Between 1945 and 1950, he studied esthetics and art history at Masaryk University in Brno. Later he worked in various groups and ateliers (e.g. on animated films), but his main area became played film. His films are well known for extraordinarily high art quality. Vláčil was awarded many film prizes like the Prize of the International Film Festival 1998 in Karlovy Vary or the Czech Lion Prize for his longstanding contribution to world film culture.

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The White Dove (1960)

A poetic film about a dove getting lost on its way to Prague getting shot down by a paralyzed boy. An artist who finds the dove becomes friends with the boy. Together they take care of it bringing it back to recovery.  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Kateřina Irmanovová  •  Karel Smyczek  •  Anna Pitašová  •  Václav Irmanov

A poetic film about a dove getting lost on its way to Prague getting shot down by a paralyzed boy. An artist who finds the dove becomes friends with the boy. Together they take care of it bringing it back to recovery.  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Kateřina Irmanovová  •  Karel Smyczek  •  Anna Pitašová  •  Václav Irmanov

Shadows of a Hot Summer (1978)

The story of 1947, when Bender's band, after a beating of the Nazis, tried to fight their way through Czechoslovakia to Austria. They come out of the forest to occupy the family's rural estate, kidnap doctors to help heal one of their wounded.  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Juraj Kukura  •  Marta Vančurová  •  Gustáv Valach  •  Jiří Bartoška

The story of 1947, when Bender's band, after a beating of the Nazis, tried to fight their way through Czechoslovakia to Austria. They come out of the forest to occupy the family's rural estate, kidnap doctors to help heal one of their wounded.  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Juraj Kukura  •  Marta Vančurová  •  Gustáv Valach  •  Jiří Bartoška

My Sweet Little Village (1985)

The movie's main storyline follows the life of Otík, a young man, in a tight-knit village community. The sweet-tempered Otík works as an assistant truck driver with Mr. Pávek, his older colleague and practical-minded neighbor. Pávek's family takes care of Otík, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jiří Menzel
CAST:  János Bán  •  Marián Labuda  •  Zdeněk Svěrák  •  Libuše Šafránková

The movie's main storyline follows the life of Otík, a young man, in a tight-knit village community. The sweet-tempered Otík works as an assistant truck driver with Mr. Pávek, his older colleague and practical-minded neighbor. Pávek's family takes care of Otík, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jiří Menzel
CAST:  János Bán  •  Marián Labuda  •  Zdeněk Svěrák  •  Libuše Šafránková

Marketa Lazarová (1967)

Mikolás and his brother Adam end up with a young German hostage of noble blood during a robbery. While their clan prepares for the wrath of the German king, Mikolás is sent to pressure his neighbor Lazar into a defense pact. Persuasion fails and he abducts Lazar's ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Josef Kemr  •  Magda Vášáryová  •  Naďa Hejná  •  František Velecký

Mikolás and his brother Adam end up with a young German hostage of noble blood during a robbery. While their clan prepares for the wrath of the German king, Mikolás is sent to pressure his neighbor Lazar into a defense pact. Persuasion fails and he abducts Lazar's ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Josef Kemr  •  Magda Vášáryová  •  Naďa Hejná  •  František Velecký

The Valley of the Bees (1968)

Cast out by his father, young Ondrej joins the Order of the Teutonic Knights, where he is raised by strict monk Armin. After years of hardship, Ondrej escapes from the Order when he is wrongly punished, and sets out for his former home. Arriving to discover his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Jan Kačer  •  Věra Galatíková  •  Zdeněk Kryzánek  •  Petr Čepek

Cast out by his father, young Ondrej joins the Order of the Teutonic Knights, where he is raised by strict monk Armin. After years of hardship, Ondrej escapes from the Order when he is wrongly punished, and sets out for his former home. Arriving to discover his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Jan Kačer  •  Věra Galatíková  •  Zdeněk Kryzánek  •  Petr Čepek

Magician (1988)

A narration of episodes from the life of the famous Czech poet, Karel Hynek Mácha. Throughout the film, we witness a deep analysis of Mácha's complex character (his relation to another Czech writer of the time Josef Kajetán Tyl, his unbearable jealousy, his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Jiří Schwarz  •  Veronika Žilková  •  Marta Vančurová  •  Petr Čepek

A narration of episodes from the life of the famous Czech poet, Karel Hynek Mácha. Throughout the film, we witness a deep analysis of Mácha's complex character (his relation to another Czech writer of the time Josef Kajetán Tyl, his unbearable jealousy, his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Jiří Schwarz  •  Veronika Žilková  •  Marta Vančurová  •  Petr Čepek

The Little Shepherd Boy from the Valley (1983)

In 1947 by the Beskid mountains, the traces of war still linger, destroyed tanks dispersed throughout the farmland creating an eerie backdrop. This film follows a ten-year-old boy and the strange visions he encounters, his world of fantasy exacerbated with ample ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Vlastimil Drbal  •  Zdeněk Dušek  •  Radka Fiedlerová  •  Libuše Geprtová

In 1947 by the Beskid mountains, the traces of war still linger, destroyed tanks dispersed throughout the farmland creating an eerie backdrop. This film follows a ten-year-old boy and the strange visions he encounters, his world of fantasy exacerbated with ample ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Vlastimil Drbal  •  Zdeněk Dušek  •  Radka Fiedlerová  •  Libuše Geprtová

Adelheid (1970)

In the aftermath of World War II, a soldier takes charge of a manor formerly owned by a German family and falls in love with the daughter, now a maid. Their relationship forces him to confront the tension between his love and his conscience.  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Petr Čepek  •  Emma Černá  •  Jan Vostrčil  •  Jana Krupičková

In the aftermath of World War II, a soldier takes charge of a manor formerly owned by a German family and falls in love with the daughter, now a maid. Their relationship forces him to confront the tension between his love and his conscience.  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Petr Čepek  •  Emma Černá  •  Jan Vostrčil  •  Jana Krupičková

The Devil's Trap (1962)

A small town is one day visited by a priest who is there on a secret mission. He is a member of the Inquisition sent to investigate the activities of a local miller. The miller and his son are the descendants of an old family whose ancestral home burned down a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Karla Chadimová  •  Vlastimil Hašek  •  Vít Olmer  •  Čestmír Řanda

A small town is one day visited by a priest who is there on a secret mission. He is a member of the Inquisition sent to investigate the activities of a local miller. The miller and his son are the descendants of an old family whose ancestral home burned down a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Karla Chadimová  •  Vlastimil Hašek  •  Vít Olmer  •  Čestmír Řanda

Spanilá jízda (1963)

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DIRECTION:  Oldřich Daněk
CAST:  Petr Kostka  •  Jiří Vala  •  Michaela Lohniská  •  Jaroslav Průcha

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DIRECTION:  Oldřich Daněk
CAST:  Petr Kostka  •  Jiří Vala  •  Michaela Lohniská  •  Jaroslav Průcha

Concert at the End of Summer (1980)

A docudrama about four weeks in the life of famous Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. The drama - filled with many of Dvorak's compositions - begins when the composer suddenly decides to cut a concert in London and return home. While on the train, flashbacks reveal his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Josef Vinklář  •  Ondřej Havelka  •  Jiří Bartoška  •  Svatopluk Beneš

A docudrama about four weeks in the life of famous Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. The drama - filled with many of Dvorak's compositions - begins when the composer suddenly decides to cut a concert in London and return home. While on the train, flashbacks reveal his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Josef Vinklář  •  Ondřej Havelka  •  Jiří Bartoška  •  Svatopluk Beneš

Serpent's Poison (1982)

Her mother dead, 18-year-old Vladka travels to a remote village in the dead of winter to find the father she has never met. The happiness of their initial meeting gives way to the daughter’s disappointment and concern over the hardworking man’s alcoholism.  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Josef Vinklář  •  Karel Brožek  •  Renáta Doleželová  •  Slávka Hamouzová

Her mother dead, 18-year-old Vladka travels to a remote village in the dead of winter to find the father she has never met. The happiness of their initial meeting gives way to the daughter’s disappointment and concern over the hardworking man’s alcoholism.  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Josef Vinklář  •  Karel Brožek  •  Renáta Doleželová  •  Slávka Hamouzová

Albert (1985)

Story of an extraordinary musician, violinist, who was famous, but his alcoholism led him to poverty. Now he is playing time from time to rich people. Then Albert meets count Delesov, who tries to change Albert's life. Two different characters, two ways of life ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Jaroslav Filip  •  Jan Kačer  •  Peter Debnár  •  Zora Kolínská

Story of an extraordinary musician, violinist, who was famous, but his alcoholism led him to poverty. Now he is playing time from time to rich people. Then Albert meets count Delesov, who tries to change Albert's life. Two different characters, two ways of life ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Jaroslav Filip  •  Jan Kačer  •  Peter Debnár  •  Zora Kolínská

Shades of Fern (1986)

Based on the only extensive prose work by the surrealist painter Josef Capek, Shades of Fern most resembles the philosophical fairy tales and fables of Josef’s older brother, the legendary Czech novelist and playwright Karel Capek. Two young poachers, more boys ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Marek Probosz  •  Zbigniew Suszyński  •  Miroslav Macháček  •  František Peterka

Based on the only extensive prose work by the surrealist painter Josef Capek, Shades of Fern most resembles the philosophical fairy tales and fables of Josef’s older brother, the legendary Czech novelist and playwright Karel Capek. Two young poachers, more boys ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Marek Probosz  •  Zbigniew Suszyński  •  Miroslav Macháček  •  František Peterka

Letter from front (1956)

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DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST: 

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DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
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Garrison in the Peak (1956)

About meteorologists working on Lomničký štít. The film shows contrast between a man and mountains.  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Václav Voska

About meteorologists working on Lomničký štít. The film shows contrast between a man and mountains.  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Václav Voska

Clouds of Glass (1958)

A young boy’s infatuation with flight is the subject of Vláčil’s poetic, prize-winning early short, made for the Czechoslovak Army’s film unit.  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Ivan Hudecký  •  Antonín Zíb  •  Adolf Vojta-Jurný  •  Jiří Bláha

A young boy’s infatuation with flight is the subject of Vláčil’s poetic, prize-winning early short, made for the Czechoslovak Army’s film unit.  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Ivan Hudecký  •  Antonín Zíb  •  Adolf Vojta-Jurný  •  Jiří Bláha

The Legend of the Silver Fir (1973)

According to one Beskydy Mountains legend, if you do a good deed you will see silver trees. Little Ondra knows trees like that. In his family's cottage hangs a picture showing silver firs, a person falling from a height and a watch. In art lessons Ondra paints ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Maroš Kramár  •  Július Vašek  •  Zdeněk Kryzánek  •  Lubomír Kostelka

According to one Beskydy Mountains legend, if you do a good deed you will see silver trees. Little Ondra knows trees like that. In his family's cottage hangs a picture showing silver firs, a person falling from a height and a watch. In art lessons Ondra paints ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  František Vláčil
CAST:  Maroš Kramár  •  Július Vašek  •  Zdeněk Kryzánek  •  Lubomír Kostelka
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