Photo
Poster
Spring is Here!
The First Day of Spring with Ludvík Vaculík - the first reading of a essay of tradition.
Documentary film of Ludvík Vaculík and Břetislav Rychlík "Valašský snář / "Dream-book of Valašsko" (Czech Television Brno)
A sampling of Slivovice courtesy of Jelínek, accompanied by the dulcimer of Jan Rokyta.
March 21, 2000
I once said to Břetislav Rychlík from Brno, that before I die, I would like to create a television documentary film about Brumov, because no-one else can make it so well. - I don't mean a film about me, as it was mis-written in the Lidové noviny.- I know Brumov and its surroundings from my youth, and in my old age, I can now recall and write about it. But I am afraid, now, when Břetislav has come so quickly and has told me, that it's now a reality! It will be four thirty-minute segments. I was amazed by this too, because not even Kutná Hora received so much time. But that's the way it is, I mean with the television from Brno; Prague… I don't know. Here, we can see how important it is that television should be decentralized.
It took almost one year to film, and the script wasn't written down, but was developed during walks, from speeches, from looking at the countryside, from my previous writings. We only knew beforehand that it wouldn't be a film about folklore (this is for you, Mrs. Spáčilová from newspaper Mladá fronta); we don't want merely a reportage, we aren't looking for any mistakes, we want to keep the relationship of the people to their home - something that is the same everywhere. What will not be said or filmed on location, also will not be added to the films like a clever commentary later. The film will be aimed towards the future.
The four parts of this documentary have one disadvantage: hardly anyone has seen all the parts. It should be with the kindness of the Archa Theatre, that it be set right during the screening that you have been invited to. And because it will be on March 21, the director would like me to read my usual essay Spring is Here - now already for the twenty-sixth time. I still haven't written it yet.
Ludvík Vaculík