Záviš, the Prince of Pornofolk under the Influence of Griffith's ‘Intolerance’ and Tati's ‘Monsieur Hulot's Holiday’ or the Foundation and the Doom of Czechoslovakia (1918-1992)

I'm an old libertine, sings the songwriter Záviš, who calls himself the Prince of Pornofolk. The film's other heroes include a journalist, an environmentalist, some exhausted dancers, an MC from an animal cemetery, and an egg-laying mime. _ When does it ever happen that you're on the way to see some animal and at that moment it dies and starts telling you some story?, asks Vachek. In the film a political subtext intertwines with bizarre images from the world of Czech society, with appearances from a three-legged dog and a stuffed polar bear. _ The director lectures to students about his concept of film, and he dons a protective cornet, the kind put on dogs to prevent them from biting themselves. In his account of Czechoslovak history he goes against prevailing intellectual discourse: in his interpretation Edvard Beneš and Alexander Dubček are portrayed in a positive light. _ The documentary conveys the political and artistic residue of the past several years in the Czech Republic, when capitalism became stabilised in the country. Vachek's film again sets out down the majestic path of documentary filmmaking, which transforms a social situation into a grand story. _ Every invention is a critique, a critique of cinematography, a critique of society, and even a critique of criticism. Like every innovative artist Vachek adopts a position in relation to previous techniques and aims to express a new view of any social reality and its interpretations, including his own life and work. (source: MFDF Jihlava)

The partner of the screening is International Documentary Film Festival Jihlava.