08/12/2005

The film industry is full of contradictions and Czech cinema can testify to this. In a period when the world box office revenues have dropped significantly and state subsidies are deemed insufficient Czech filmmakers are preparing three of the country’s most expensive films ever.

Juraj Jakubisko, a Slovak earning his living in Czech Republic, is busy with Bathory, a period drama about the 16th century Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory, who has gone down to history as one of the world’s notorious serial killers. Jakubisko Film, Bathory's main producer, has set the feature’s budget at almost € 10 million, thus making it the most expensive Czech production ever. Jan Sverak’s Dark Blue World (Tmavomodry svet) is the costliest Czech film to date. It cost almost € 8 million to complete in 2001.
According to Jakubisko Film shooting starts in mid-December and all dialogues will be in English. No details about the actors or the other co-producers involved have been revealed though.

Less is known about another costly production, Jiri Menzel’s adaptation of Bohumil Hrabal’s book "I Served the King of England" (Obsluhoval jsem anglickeho kraal) which moved the start of principal photography from November to next March. The film, produced by Ceska Produkcni and Bioscop, has a budget of almost € 3 million making it the third most expensive Czech film ever. It is Academy Award winner Menzel’s (Closely Observed Trains; 1966) first film in more than 12 years.

Last but not least is Vaclav Marhoul’s Tobruk. The WWII drama about a Czech youngster taking part in one of history’s famous battles is to be filmed on location in Northern Africa from August 2006, so having a budget of € 2 million and entering the all time lists as the fifth most expensive Czech film, is not at least surprising. Marhoul’s own company Silver Screen is producer.
All three films have planned a theatrical release in 2007.