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World Premiere of Movie "CzechMate"

Date: 16 August 2018, Venue: New Delhi

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Prague Spring the Embassy of the Czech Republic and the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in New Delhi organized on 16 August 2018 a world premiere of the 7 hour-long documentary film CzechMate: In Search of Jiri Menzel, directed by well known Indian director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.
 

czech mate 3

 

Shivendra Singh Dungarpur’s documentary CZECHMATE: In Search of Jiri Menzel has entered the history books even before it has been screened for the public.

The archivist and filmmaker’s third feature-length documentary adds up to seven hours, and is the longest Indian production to have been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification.

 

czech mate 1

 

The founder director of the Film Heritage Shivendra Singh Dungarpur is an award-winning filmmaker, archivist and restorer who passionately believes in the cause of film preservation and restoration and is uniquely qualified to head the Film Heritage foundation.

In 2017, Shivendra was elected to the Executive Committee of FIAF at the 2017 FIAF Congress hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in Los Angeles. 

 

CzechMate (1)

 

The 7 hour and 15 minutes long documentary is telling us about the period of democratization and liberalization in Czechoslovakia in 1968 called Prague Spring. That time many wonderful films were made.

The Prague Spring ended with the occupation of Czechoslovakia by the armed forces of Soviet Union and some other countries of the Warsaw Pact. 

Many newly made films were banned by the time they were ready for release, and they found on audience only 20 years later in the 1990s.

 

Czech Mate (2)

 

The documentary CzechMate is about filmmakers from the sixties of the twentieth century.

The movie offers an unique view into the lives and work of some of the best Czech and Slovak directors, such as Jiri Menzel, Milos Forman, Juraj Herz, Vera Chytilova, Juraj Jakubisko or Dusan Hanak.

The movie contains 85 interviews with more than 20 prominent Czech and international artists.

 

Czech Mate (3)

 

Ambassadors of both countries and director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur were present during the screening.

 

Ivan Lančarič, Milan Hovorka a Shivendra Singh Dungarpur

 

Czech Ambassador Milan Hovorka read the following message sent by the Czech film director Jiri Menzel:
 

"Dear viewers and friends in India,
 

I have visited your country several times. Last time, we were with the whole family in Kerala and we came back with beautiful memories.
 

In India, I also got a series of awards which I appreciate very much.
 

I was lucky enough to meet Shivendra Singh Dungarpur who for many years has devoted himself to filming the document you are about to see today. I'm so glad that this movie will exist and I look forward to seeing it.
 

I wish you to enjoy today's screening in Delhi, and I promise that if my health allows me I will come to visit again.
 

Thanks, Shivendra, thanks, all organizers!
 

Greetings from Prague,
 

Yours

Jiri Menzel."

 

Czech Mate (4)

 

Both Ambassadors, Milan Hovorka and Ivan Lancaric thanked director Mr.Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and his team for creation of this very comprehensive and completely unique documentary describing the "Czechoslovak New Wave".

 

Shivendra Singh Dungarpur + Jiri Menzel

 

The movie was screened with 2 breaks, during which director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur provided interviews to the media.

Approximately a hundred of viewers accepted a film with great enthusiasm and, at the end, they appreciated it with a long applaus.

 

cma

 

Next screening of the movie will be on September 16, 2018 in Los Angeles which will be the U.S. Premiere, and at the end of October 2018 at the International Film Festival in Mumbai.

 

 

czech mate 2

Film Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur met with Mrs. Doris Kumarova who helped a lot to realise the film.