Jan Špáta
Directing
Biography
Jan Spáta was born on October 25, 1932 in Náchod, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. He was a cinematographer and director, known for Nejvetsí prání II (1990), Mezi svetlem a tmou (1990) and A kdo je vinen? (1971). He was married to Olga Sommerová. He died on August 18, 2006 in Prague, Czech Republic.
Known For
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GENUS
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Dášeňka
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Fortel
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Il Divino Boemo
Two different productions of Václav Havel's Beggar's Opera reveal the political dynamics of Czechoslovakia before and after the velvet revolution.
A znovu Žebrácká opera
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Pražská strašidla
In 1965, during eminent trumpeter Louis Armstrong’s visit to Prague, Jan Spata then a young promising documentary filmmaker, created the report 'Hallo Satchmo'.
Hallo Satchmo
A synagogue service in Bohemia, where the Torah scrolls are ceremoniously taken out and read, intercut with images of a Jewish cemetery.
Psalm
Sociological study of the real values of young people in socialism.
The Biggest Wish
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O malém světě
Documentary short about the title composer, born in what was called "Czechoslovakia" when the film was made.
Variations of a Theme by Gustav Mahler
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Svítí slunce?
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Vůně benzínu
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Telefon
Athletic Variations (Atletické variace, 28 min) is a sophisticated essay on winning and losing during the 1982 European Athletics Championships held in Athens.
Athletic Variation
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Nádraží
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Neděle
A leading director of the Czech film renaissance provides a philosophical meditation on life and death, set amidst complex hospital apparatus and the sadness, hope, or resignation of the patients. Existentialist rather than optimist, the approach is one of humanistic atheism, accepting death as part of life. Interviews with doctors and nurses explore their outlook; all speak of death as a fact, without either sentimentality or religiosity. The studied objectivity of the film only imperfectly hides an intense emotionality.
Reflection
Visiting the company cafeteria is like going through the nine circles of Dante’s Inferno. At least that’s how Valoušek, editor of Kulturní noviny, sees it when he unwittingly becomes the protagonist of a social experiment at the local company cafeteria, where everything happens the opposite of how it should. This humorous satire about the conflict between reality and ideals highlights the pitfalls of the journalism profession, and the fact that culture is created not by institutions, but by people.
Troubles with Culture
A short documentary about the work of railwaymen and life on the railway.