At the beginning of the month, the Docalliancefilms.com portal presented a profile of contemporary films made by students of the Film and Television University (HFF) in Potsdam-Babelsberg; this time, we are introducing contemporary films made by young documentarists at the Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) in Prague...
As mentioned in the previous text about the oldest German university, it was FAMU (together with the VGIK Moscow) that has set an example for the HFF. To decide whether Czech filmmakers can be a good example for their German colleagues today as well, you can watch the representative selections of the production of both universities, presented in parallel at the Docalliancefilms.com portal, and see for yourself. Most of the students of FAMU’s Department of Documentary Film, whose films are included in the selection, already have their profiles at the portal, so that the portal visitors have a unique opportunity to follow the creative development of these young filmmakers, who might become great Czech filmmakers one day.
What distinguishes the young Czech documentarists from their German colleagues is their intensive interest in the film form. While the HFF students prefer the traditional “objective” documentary form, concentrating on a most truthful and accurate depiction of a concrete story, FAMU students let the form of the documentary narrative loose, substituting it by that of an essay ((Midnight)), parody (Czech Postwar History), stage-managed documentary (Olda, Advent) or creative reportage (Post, Where Is My Home?). Thus the form often represents the most powerful element of their films. Though the films might be slightly lacking a leading story or theme, the fact might escape notice due to the very original and interesting form.
Similarly to the German collection, the Czech collection, too presents contemporary student films made in the period of the past two years. The films that have received the greatest critical and public acclaim include works by Viera Čakányová, Klára Tasovská, Petr Hátle, Rozálie Kohoutová, Martin Kohout and Tereza Reichová. However, on the whole, the Prague film selection is of such quality that any of the films can be recommended without hesitation. Since the films are for free and their duration is not too excessive, you have a perfect opportunity not to miss a single one of them.
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