CZECH REPUBLIC: NATASHA KINSKI 'S NEW FILM "AN AMERICAN RHAPSODY " OPENS THE 36TH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IN KARLOY VARY

Record ID: 841382

  • Title: CZECH REPUBLIC: NATASHA KINSKI 'S NEW FILM "AN AMERICAN RHAPSODY " OPENS THE 36TH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IN KARLOY VARY
  • Date: 10th July 2001
  • Summary: KARLOVY VARY, CZECH REPUBLIC (JULY 7TH, 2001) (REUTERS) VARIOUS, KINSKI AND HER DAUGHTERS GET INTO HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE WITH FESTIVAL PRESIDENT JIRI BARTOSKA AND HIS WIFE / CARRIAGE MOVING OFF (2 SHOTS) SCU KINSKI SIGNING AUTOGRAPH FOR PASSING FAN SMV CROWD WATCHING CARRIAGE SMV KINSKI AND HER DAUGHTERS IN CARRIAGE VARIOUS, CROWD OUTSIDE HOTEL THERMAL /GIANT STATUE OF FIL
  • Embargoed: 25th July 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KARLOVY VARY,CZECH REPUBLIC
  • City:
  • Country: Czech Republic
  • Topics:
  • Reuters ID: LVA252Y64JWBNSIWGZJ44L8KJFP
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Natassja Kinski, star of American Rhapsody rode through the picturesque spa town of Karlovy Vary in a horse drawn carriage as its 36th International Film Festival got underway. An American Rhapsody opened the festival while the ninety-year-old Czech film director and lecturer, Otakar Vavra received an award for outstanding artistic contribution to the world of cinema.
    The picturesque spa town may be a haven of tranquillity the rest of the year round but come July the western Czech town is overrun with film directors, actors, producers and movie goers as its annual international film festival gets underway.
    This year's stars of the movie world who have come to promote and screen their films include amongst others Natassja Kinski, lead actress in the festival's opening film, An American Rhapsody. Written and directed by Eva Gardos the film is a poignant and powerful drama set against the Cold War atmosphere of the 1950s and tumultuous 1960s.
    The film follows Margaret and Peter, a young upper class couple with two children who flee Hungary's repressive communist regime in 1951. During their escape they are forced to leave their baby daughter Suzanne behind. After several years Suzanne is brought to America but the family reunion is not a happy one and friction grows between mother and daughter to life-threatening proportions. In the waning days of Communism, Suzanne returns to Hungary against the wishes of her parents, causing Margaret to realise that the only way to regain her daughter is to let her go.
    The story is based on Gardos' own life-story who grew up in the Hungarian countryside and was only reunited with her family in the West at the age of eight thanks to the Red Cross.
    She began her film career as an editor on Valley Girl in 1983 before working on other projects including, Mask, Barfly and Tales from the Crypt and with directors, Hal Ashby, Francis Ford Coppola and Barbet Schroeder. She worked on the screenplay of An American Rhapsody for seven years. The film, which is also her directorial debut, received its world premiere at Karlovy Vary. "I am very honoured to present the world premiere of American Rhapsody here in Karlovy Vary.
    First because it's a beautiful town and this is my story. It's based on my family but it's also based on the story of people I think all over the world," said Gardos.
    Kinski said the film's story is an important one for her.
    "It's her real story, her life story about what happened to her as a baby a little girl and it means a lot to me." Perhaps it is one she herself can relate to. The daughter of Polish actor Klaus Kinski, Natassja herself experienced the difficulties of growing up as a displaced person. Speaking at the premiere Kinski said, "We're very happy to be here its always a big miracle when a movie comes together and I've done this for a long time but its an honour to do stories that are real that really happen to people those are the ones obviously as an actor touch you most. When I met Eva and she said it was her story it was a very important story that many people have lived actually."
    Joining the cast and director of An American Rhapsody on stage was Czech director and lecturer, Otakar Vavra. Now in his ninetieth year with forty-nine films and eighty two screenplays behind him, Vavra was honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the festival's opening ceremony for his Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema. " I am very honoured to receive this award. Of course film is a collective art so I also honour the people who have worked with me in the past."
    Said Vavra on receiving his award.
    Vavra, who studied architecture in Prague, was part of the Czech film generation of the 1930's. His first three films, Light Penetrates the Darkness, We live in Prague and November, are some of the finest representatives of Czech inter-War avant-garde cinema.
    He first gained international attention at the Venice Biennial in 1938 where his film, The Guild of the Kutna Hora Virgins won the festival's Luce Gold Cup. In the 1950's Vavra worked with writer Milos Kratochvil on adaptations of Jirasek's novels set in the Hussite era. His career culminated in the 1960's with his film, The Golden Rennet, the story of a wasted life that sought to evoke the wretched state of his country at the time.
    As well as directing, lecturing has been an important part of his career. He founded the Department of Film Direction at Prague's Film Academy of Muse Arts, (FAMU) in the mid-fifties.
    Jiri Menzel and Milos Forman were amongst his students.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register