Following outrage from Czech and international producers, the Czech Republic is bringing back its film production incentives – but at a reduced rate that’s being called a stop-gap measure until a new law can fully restore them. Czech President Milos Zeman has signed a new act to keep the incentives at 20% of rebate on cash spent – lagging behind the 30% rate now in play in Hungary and Poland and also trailing Slovakia and Germany, who each offer 25%. The new law also caps the fund available for rebates at about $6 million per project, a limit that the head of the Czech Film Commission, Pavlina Zipkova, says “is going against the pure sense of production incentives, which is to attract inward investment.” Zipkova adds that industry officials are at work on an improved version of the incentives law to create more competitive conditions to keep the recent flow of mega-productions such as Netflix’s “The Gray Man” and Amazon’s “The Wheel of Time” coming. Details of the draft measure are still under wraps but Zipkova says it’s expected to pass and take effect in 2024 ideally. This summer, with incentives depleted, Vratislav Slajer, the head of the country’s main producers’ association, the...
Czechs have a lot of sayings and some about themselves. Here are three of them and we will not only explain what they mean but also where they come from. Golden Czech Hands (Zlaté české ručičky) Zlaté české ručičky or Golden Czech Hands refers to the ability of the Czech people to make anything themselves. Need electricity installed in your house? No problem, the uncle can do it! Need some furniture built? Don’t call the professionals, we will figure it out! This about illustrates the attitude many Czechs have towards making things they need instead of leaving it to the professionals. Not that they would distrust them, this habit comes from the 40 years of communism where even simple things were scarce and people had to figure things out on their own. We are talking about relatively recent times which many Czechs still remember so they are not only used to making things themselves but are also really good at it. Every Czech is a musician (Co Čech to muzikant) Czech festivities have always been accompanied by lots of music. Previously no professional bands were being hired, the village people were always responsible for this irreplaceable part of every harvest...
From September 9 to 15, the international art festival PRAGUE ART WEEK 22 will be taking place in Prague for the first time ever. Following the example of other large cities around the world, the festival aims to connect the Prague art scene and, through a joint initiative, make the Czech capital stand out on the world art map on the occasion of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The festival of visual art invites visitors from the Czech Republic and abroad to more than fifty galleries, museums, art collections, and other art institutions all over Prague, which will present a diverse program focused on the visual art of Central and Eastern Europe. The opening of the festival will take place on Friday, September 9, at 5 p.m. in the piazzetta of the New Stage of the National Theatre, where the festival center, the so-called Superstudio, will be located for the entire week. The opening will be followed by the festival weekend, during which major art institutions have prepared either free or discounted admission for festival visitors. From Monday, September 12, to Thursday, September 15, the organizers encourage guests to visit the smaller, private galleries that...
The National Theatre in Prague, built almost entirely using money raised through public collections, was a world rarity. For some thirty years, people gathered funds “coin by coin”. The fire that destroyed much of it in 1881 was, therefore, all the more devastating. Because of insufficient funds for its construction, money was collected from all social classes. The foundation stone was placed in 1868, the historical date remembered as the beginning of this amazing edifice. Years passed and finally in 1881, the neo-Renaissance construction was opened for a first performance that took place in the honor of Crown Prince Rudolf. On 12th August 1881, when the last details were being retouched, a fire broke out and destroyed much of the new building, destroying the roof, stage and auditorium, including the decorations for the upcoming premiere of Smetana’s Libuše. The vestibule, foyer, loggia and a number of rooms, such as the archive, cloakroom and theatre office, were preserved. The event was considered a national catastrophe, but the Czechs didn’t stand aside. They started a new campaign for the reconstruction of the National Theatre. Rich and poor contributed and the result was the amazing one million florins gathered in 47 days. In...
The Jewish community in the Czech lands was never very numerous, but its cultural influence was enormous. Even today, we can walk through Jewish neighborhoods, bow our heads at Jewish cemeteries or explore one of about two hundred synagogues. More than 50 Jewish monuments around the country will open to the public free of charge on Sunday, August 14, as part of this year’s Day of Jewish Monuments. In Prague, the Jeruzalem Synagogue – built in the late 1860s in the Moorish – participates in the event. Visitors will be able to see synagogues, Jewish cemeteries and other buildings, some of which are normally not accessible. Among the biggest attractions this year are two newly reconstructed synagogues – the Great Synagogue in Pilsen and the synagogue in Čáslav. The Day of Jewish Monuments initiative is organized by Jewish community in Prague in collaboration with Matana, the administrative body for Jewish buildings and cemeteries; the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic; the Jewish community in Brno; and the Jewish community in Teplice. Some 200 synagogues and 370 Jewish cemeteries have been preserved to this day in the Czech Republic. Around 70 synagogues were destroyed in the country during the Second World War and another...
Traveling has been a little difficult in the past year but here are some movies that explain life in the Czech Republic, including its previous eras. These Czech movies have been organized according the time period they depict and there’s a link at each movie where you can watch/buy/rent it. Musíme si pomáhat / Divided We Fall (2000) The first movie I want to tell you about is set in German-occupied Czechoslovakia in the 1940ies and tells the story of the life of people in a small village during these dark times. This Oscar-nominated movie shows perfectly that even in the worst of times the Czechs maintain their specific humor. It also explains some of the characteristics the older generation of Czechs have in common, except for the general distrust of the Germans – the always-present need to look over one’s shoulder. Watch this movie: Amazon Anthropoid (2016) Anthropoid is a film based on a true story of the planned assault on the SS Obergrupenführer Reinhard Heydrich. The movie is of Czech-British production and was shot in Prague. Just like Divided We Fall it shows the horrible reality the Czechs had to endure during the German occupation. Watch this movie: Amazon Želary...
Signal Festival will take place from Thursday 13 October to Sunday 16 October in the streets of Prague. In the last 10 years, the festival has attracted more than 3 million visitors and helped to create 90 original works of art, supporting the youngest generation of Czech artists. Although the venues are not always the same, in the past they have included Republic Square, Old Town Square (Kinsky Palace), Rudolfinum, Shooters Island, National Theatre, Kampa Park, Peace Square and Prague Castle. Lately, they’ve gone out to Karlin as well and instead of a start and finish they now have different circuits. “This year we celebrate our 10th anniversary and we will offer videomappings, new installations and venues, world-known artists, projections, live shows, talks, and many new collaborations. We’re not gonna reveal the official program just yet, but you can take a little sneak peak,” says festival director Martin Pošta. “Thanks to the newly established international cooperation, we will be able to bring you more inspiring artists from all over the world, especially in the field of digital and new media. You will get the opportunity to see the works previously exhibited in world-class galleries in Berlin, New York, London, or Lisbon,” he added. The...
Japanese Zen Paintings from the Kaeru-An Collection are brought to the National Gallery Prague by curators Markéta Hánová and Jana Ryndová. Zenga is a thoroughly organized space where you can feel yourself a part of the artistic universe and customize your experience of Zen. The exhibition is organized into five realms, each presents one of the main principles of the ancient teaching, giving you an opportunity to become a disciple yourself. The multidimensional space-shaping approach is adjusted in order to bring to movement all the senses you may use to perceive reality and its new experiences. You are invited to observe the painting while sitting in a special area in front of it, while your hearing is busy with thoroughly chosen musical accompaniment. This way you may actually feel the artwork and interpret it in accordance with the teaching, making it your very own experience, allowing it to change you and therefore complete its mission. The exhibition will run until October 2, 2022. “Nothing is lacking and nothing is in excess” Be sure to trust the art space that awakens silence in your own mind where an ability to listen to the world and interpret its messages can be discovered. That sacred faculty...
Pussy Riot, the feminist performance art group, is performing at Prague’s MeetFactory on September 8. The group, which became famous for their punk rock sound that transformed into more traditional protest music, is arriving in Prague during a tour which has focused on opposition to the ongoing war in Ukraine started following Russian aggression. The group’s history as Russian dissidents has given them a unique platform on which to speak out against the war. Started in 2011, they have never stopped protesting against Vladimir Putin’s government. Along with a general opposition to fascism, they were specifically motivated by Putin’s government’s attitude towards LGBT+ issues and abortion, alongside increasing economic inequality. Their provocative music often calls for rebellion and has landed a few of the more than 10 women involved in legal trouble. In 2012, members were arrested on charges of “hooliganism” following outspoken challenges to the Russian Orthodox clergy. This predictably sparked international action. Since then, all its members have been freed, including another who was arrested in Croatia recently. Proceeds from their most recent 19-stop tour will go towards helping Ukrainian refugee resettlement and a children’s hospital in the country. The band hopes to revive the pro-Ukraine activist movement...
Czech police cars and a Prague tram in an American film. The action blockbuster The Gray Man is the number one most watched title on Netflix. The attempt at a “Mabe-by-Netflix” James Bond builds primarily on spectacular and spectacular action dominated by Prague locations. The filmmakers, led by Avengers directors Joe and Anthony Russo, left nearly CZK 300 million in Prague during the fortnight-long shoot, according to Collider magazine. The espionage thriller set in the US Secret Service, starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas, had a budget of $200 million and was produced by Stillking Films for the Czech side. Prague has portrayed Bangkok, Vienna, Berlin, but also itself. You will see some scenes here: the Vítkov Memorial, the Square of the Republic, the Trade Fair Palace and the Dukla Heroes’ Avenue. “A mysterious CIA agent uncovers secrets that could destroy the agency. A former colleague gone mad then puts a bounty on his head and chases him around the world,” Netflix beckons with its new action-packed masterpiece that’s shaking up social media. “One of the biggest and most impressive of the nine incredible action sequences takes place in Prague. In the sequence you have Gosling under...
On Saturday, September 10 you can experience Americká street (and now also Záhřebská) differently. Zažít Americkou Jinak returns for its annual day full of concerts, workshops, theatre, dance, delicious food and refreshing cocktails from around the world. Come and experience the city from a different perspective- a fun, international multicultural street party awaits you. Stalls will be there to tempt and dine you with their delicious cuisines. Americká has many international restaurants so it’s the perfect location to try different foods. Throughout the street, you will also find several stands of non-profit organizations that you can support. Other stores will be open so there is the opportunity to buy a memento from your day out at Americká Street Festival. Among other activities, the neighborhood festival will include a traditional multicultural festival – the Mexican ‘LA CALLE MEXICANA’. Look forward to a great Mexican party with traditional decorations, authentic Mexican food and refreshing cocktails with 100% agave tequila and mezcal. There will also be an entertainment program with traditional music and folk dances, as well as other activities for both parents and children. Throughout the day you can sample delicious street food from Black Sheep bar, Las Adelitas, Pink Floyd Café, Sapori, La Cave d’Adrien, and many...
Festival Božského Vína is preparing a wine festival on the last Saturday in August 2022 – for the second time and in a larger format at Výstaviště, Prague 7. An inclusive festival which has attendees ranging from exhibiting winemakers to musicians, artists and everything in between, they want you to ‘join them and together we will create a wonderful world.’ The quality selection of wines will be provided by the family company @TAG, which will present wines from the Slovak region from the Šalša winery (Kyjov). The legacy of this family winery follows old family winemaking traditions (the first mentioned dates back to 1796). You will be able to taste in addition to traditional varieties such as Chardonnay, Tramin root, Ruland Gray, Palava, Riesling Vlasse as well as less known, interspecified varieties, for example, Hibernal, Malverina, Johanniter, Solaris and black dedicated to Laurot. Winery Žůrek Žeravice will also be in attendance- hailing from Žeravice, which is located in the Slovácko sub-region, near the town of Kyjova specializing in the production of bottled and mostly adjuvant wines. Their flagship varieties are Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir, and especially the red variety Neronet, with which they win many awards every year at international exhibitions. Since 2017, they...
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