- Title: New film 'Anthropoid' opens the 51st Karlovy Vary International Film festival
- Date: 2nd July 2016
- Summary: KARLOVY VARY, CZECH REPUBLIC (JULY 1, 2016) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** FESTIVAL DECORATED CINEMA AT THERMAL HOTEL AUDIENCE AWAITING FILM STARS LIMOUSINE APPROACHING ACTORS JAMIE DORNAN AND ANA GEISLEROVA ARRIVING PEOPLE WITH BALLOONS DORNAN AND GEISLEROVA POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS PHOTOGRAPHERS ACTOR WILLEM DAFOE ARRIVING VARIOUS OF DAFOE WITH CROWDS PHOTOGRAPHERS CINEMA LOBBY DAFOE SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, WILLEM DAFOE, SAYING: "I have always heard good things about Karlovy Vary and they invited me to come other times and I always wanted to come and never could, so this was the year that I was able to come and I am excited to come. Cinema is just very important to me and to have a world class international film festival like this recognise my contribution is a sweet thing and it just encourages me to keep on going."
- Embargoed: 16th July 2016 12:38
- Keywords: Anthropoid Jamie Dornan Willem Dafoe movie Czech Republic film festival film Karlovy Vary
- Location: KARLOVY VARY, CZECH REPUBLIC
- City: KARLOVY VARY, CZECH REPUBLIC
- Country: Czech Republic
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA0014OZU5VX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The 51st international Film Festival opened in Czech Republic's Karlovy Vary on Friday (July 1).
American film and theatre actor Willem Dafoe, a two-time Oscar nominee, was awarded the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema during the opening ceremony at Thermal hotel cinema.
The festival shows more than 180 films; 12 of them are included in the main competition.
"I have always heard good things about Karlovy Vary and they invited me to come other times and I always wanted to come and never could, so this was the year that I was able to come and I am excited to come," Dafoe said. "Cinema is just very important to me and to have a world class international film festival like this recognize my contribution is a sweet thing and it just encourages me to keep on going."
The star-studded delegation of war drama Anthropoid, consisting of director Sean Ellis and actors Jamie Dornan, Toby Jones, Ana Geislerova, Alena Mihulova and Vaclav Neuzil, introduced the eagerly awaited film, which opened the festival.
The film follows the story of Reinhard Heydrich, a powerful Nazi and a principal architect of the Holocaust.
Heydrich was assassinated by Czech and Slovak soldiers in 1942 in Operation Anthropoid.
The idea for the film, thought of by director, screenwriter, and cameraman Sean Ellis, was in the making for 15 years.
"This started to me 15 years ago and I became obsessed with the events surrounding operation Anthropoid," Ellis said. "So it was a long journey to bring it back home to the Czech Republic tonight to you and it is great honour. I dedicate this film tonight for the men and women of former Czechoslovakia."
Star of the film, Jamie Dornan, most recently starred as the lead in controversial film "Fifty Shades of Grey".
Dornan has also received critical acclaim for his portrayal of a chilling serial killer in Netflix/BBC's The Fall, the third series of which will air in 2016.
The actor said he was proud of his part in "Anthropoid".
"We felt a huge amount of pressure to tell the story in an appropriate way and to honour the men involved in Anthropoid and we're very proud of the movie and I really hope we've done the country proud too," he said.
"Anthropoid" is set to be released in the U.S. on August 16. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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