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Film: Leaving

(This article expired 15.04.2015.)

Date: 14 May 2014 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Venue: AU, Katzen Arts Center, Abramson Family Recital Hall

On May 14, at 7 pm, American University, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Czech Republic, will screen LEAVING (Odcházení), directed by former Czech President Václav Havel. The film centers on the leader of an unspecified country who steps down after many years in power. Czech Cultural Counselor Barbara Karpetová will present opening remarks.  

Leaving
The event is part of the European Month of Culture.

Location: American University, Katzen Arts Center, Abramson Family Recital Hall 
4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20016          

RSVP: czech_events@yahoo.com | Please put “Leaving” in the subject line.              
               
Leaving
(Odcházení) | Dir. Václav Havel, 2011, Czech w/ English subtitles, 94 min.               
In 2008, Havel returned to the theater with a new play, Leaving (Odcházení), in which an ex-government official tries to reenter his former life. The film Leaving was Havel’s directorial debut film. As the action unfolds on a rural estate, comparisons to Havel’s own life become clear: “Before the 1989 Revolution, I had an idea for a character like King Lear, who loses power. It might have been the influence of the 1968 generation—the people who had been party members… after ’68 they were thrown out and started to live ordinary lives, and pretended they didn’t mind, but they did.”~Václav Havel         

Václav Havel   
Václav Havel (1936-2011), playwright, essayist, poet, dissident, and politician, was one of the writers of Charter 77, a document that criticized the communist government for failing to implement human rights provisions. After the Velvet Revolution, Havel became the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic. Shortly after being elected, he gave a speech to the joint session of Congress. Havel received numerous state decorations, honorary doctorates, and international awards, including the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. After leaving office, he continued to work in human rights, creating the Forum 2000 Foundation. For additional information about the life of Václav Havel, please visit www.vaclavhavel-library.org/en/.            

European Month of Culture    
The “European Month of Culture”­ highlights the diverse cultures of the 28 European Union Member States. Musical performances, art exhibits and tours, film screenings, and lectures take place throughout the Washington, DC, area. To many people the European Union may seem like an abstract idea; yet, there is no better way to illustrate the European ideal of joining forces  than to combine the rich heritage of each country into a month of cultural offerings. These events radiate out from Europe Day (May 9), which commemorates the historic Declaration that led to the formation of the EU. “United in Diversity,” the EU motto, is exemplified beautifully by the talents of the many artists who offer their gifts to the Washington community and visitors.