Guest Co-Hosts: Rahne Alexander, Kat EllingerWe're kicking off Czechtember 2019 with a look at Jan Schmidt's End of August at the Ozone Hotel (AKA Konec srpna v Hotelu Ozon). Released in 1967 the film is another in a collaboration between Schmidt and screenwriter Pavel Jurácek (who we discussed on our Case for a Rookie Hangman episode. Jurácek wrote the screenplay which has a group of women trying to survive in the post nuclear apocalypse. The film moves at a slow but determined pace and should not be viewed if you’re sensitive to animal cruelty.
Kat Ellinger and Rahne Alexander join Mike to discuss the film as well as some other "quiet apocalypse" movies.
Listen/Download Now:
Links:
Buy End of August at the Hotel Ozone on DVD
Visit the End of August blog discussed on the show
Music:
"Škoda lásky" - Unknown
Watch:
As far as Hotel Ozone... it was largely produced (financed) by the Czech army. At the time there was mandatory service in the army, but film students were allowed to fulfill their service by making movies. Both director Jan Schmidt and scriptwriter Pavel Jurácek were in the military when they created this film.
ReplyDeleteAt the time there was so much happening with the youth movement in Czechoslovakia, the army felt it was out of step with the times, so they financed some controversial, even experimental movies. This has been documented in a book called "Army Film and the Avant Garde" by Alice Lovejoy..
Indeed it has been referred to as "an anti-war film, made by the army."
Keep up the great work!
Jeffrey (from Amsterdam).