Wednesday, October 21, 2009
AARO Czech Movie Classics - Markéta Lazarová - November 11th
Dear AARO Members,
Following on the success of our recent screening of Ecstasy, our next movie evening will feature another rarely-seen Czech Classic. On November 11th, we are very pleased to be able to offer Members and their guests the opportunity to see the movie Markéta Lazarová - directed by legendary Czech visionary František Vláčil. We will screen the movie from a widescreen, film print with English subtitles.
To film this reputedly "unfilmable" story, set in the 13th Century and based on the acclaimed pre-war novel by Vladislav Vančura, Vláčil drew on anthropological studies and historical language, taking his cast and crew to the Šumava mountains for two years where they lived like people of those times - dressed in rags, hunting for food, living on instinct - in a quest to do as the novel had done and reveal "the essence of human nature".
The result has been called "mystical", "powerful", "surreal" and has been voted "best Czech film of all time" in polls of Czech film professionals.
The movie tells the story of 13th Century tribal rivalries in which Kozlík, the leader of a small clan, falls out of favor with the King. When his appeal to Lazar, a neighboring feudal lord, is refused he kidnaps Lazar's beautiful daughter Markéta and holds her hostage. The ensuing intrigues, clashes and the fight for survival are subtly woven around the gradual defeat of Paganism in Europe by the encroaching forces of Christianity - a recurring theme in Vláčil's impressive body of work.
When: November 11th, pre-movie social from 7pm, movie starts 8pm.
Where: Kino Atlas, Sokolovska 1, Prague 8 (by the Hilton - directions below)
Please rsvp to this address by Monday November 2nd. Guests are welcome, a per head contribution to costs of 100 CZK will be politely requested for each guest (no charge for Members). The recently restyled bar of Kino Atlas will be open before and after the movie.
Your AARO Prague Board
Directions:
Metro: Florenc Trams: 8, 24 (Florenc); 3 (Tesnov)
From Florenc tram stop / metro (Sokolovska exit), walk around towards the Hilton, parallel to the highway, Kino Atlas is on your right approx 20 yards after the Ceska Sporitelna bank on the corner.
From Tesnov tram stop, head across the park and under the highway, you will see Kino Atlas on the other side of the street, there is a pedestrian crossing by the Ceska Sporitelna bank.
AARO Prague
e-mail: aaroprague@pragmatica.cz
www.aaroprague.blogspot.com
www.aaro.org/prague
Media Partner:
www.expats.cz
# posted by Association of Americans Resident Overseas - CZ @ 10/21/2009 
