Close to the Sky

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1958

Production year

1957—1958

Premiere

24 October 1958

Runtime

81 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy, satire

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Mezi nebem a zemí

Czech title

Mezi nebem a zemí

English title

Close to the Sky

Working title

Mezi zemí a nebem

Synopsis

In the small town of Pivonice all troubles are resolved by Nováček, a conscientious but timid clerk, willing to help anyone who needs it, even outside office hours. One day Nováček is overcome by exhaustion through overwork and is taken to hospital. From snatches of conversation it transpires that he is seriously ill and that he has fourteen days to live. This new situation changes Nováček's attitude to life. He makes a stand against the bureaucratic director Korejs and resolves the citizens' problems without unnecessary delay. With the help of the director's secretary Boženka, who loves him, Nováček even travels to Prague to visit the Ministry in order to gather support. The deputy who is responsible for their region, however, has just left for Pivonice to review the situation. Nováček thinks that his battle is lost. The only consolation left to him is Boženka's love. One night he dreams of being in heaven. In a dialogue with God he discovers that he will not die and also that people must sort out their problems for themselves, without God's intervention. In the morning Nováček awakes fully recovered and with satisfaction hears the results of the ministerial review which justifies his criticism.

Note

During preparations for filming and the filming itself the work was described in the period press chiefly with the Czech title Mezi zemí a nebem; the same title was used in the periodical Film Review. The introductory title on the original negative and copy, however, give the Czech title Mezi nebem a zemí.

Cast

Vlastimil Brodský

úředník František Nováček

Marie Landová

sekretářka Boženka Kalinová/Andělka

Martin Růžek

ředitel Josef Korejs/svatý Tadeáš

Miloš Kopecký

úředník Leopold Matějka

František Smolík

hodinář/Pán Bůh

Jiří Sovák

zaměstnanec Pohřební služby Emil Bouzek

Josef Bláha

kameník

František Šlégr

vrátný Hromádka/svatý Petr

Ladislav Pešek

listonoš/svatý Florián

Stella Zázvorková

učitelka hudby/nebeská dirigentka

Walter Taub

lékárník

Ota Motyčka

redaktor Šalplachta

Viktor Očásek

muž v trafice

Josef Vošalík

revizor z kraje

Bedřich Zelenka

revizor z kraje

František Černý

úředník z ministerstva

Vladimír Hrubý

úředník z ministerstva

Václav Kaňkovský

úředník z ministerstva

Oldřich Musil

úředník z ministerstva

Antonín Soukup

hostinský

Darja Hajská

andělská matka

Milan Neděla

pokrývač Tonda

Zdeněk Najman

pokrývač Lojza

Zdeněk Řehoř

holič Krupička

Josef Kruml

kluk s novinami/čertík

František Suk

žadatel Houf

Ladislav Gzela

muž v hospodě

Jaroslav Jílovec

žadatel na úřadě

Jiří Hajný

příslušník Bezpečnosti

Commentary

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Vladimír Brebera

Assistant Director

Jana Pokorná, Jaroslav Ullmann

Director of Photography

Jan Novák

Camera Operator

Adolf Hejzlar, Karel Hejsek

Production Designer

Boris Moravec

Assistent Production Designer

Bohumil Pokorný

Set Designer

Jaroslav Ciboch, Antonín Pašek

Costume Designer

Lída Novotná

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek

Production Manager

Jaroslav Jílovec

Unit Production Manager

Jiří Krejčí

Music

Music Composed by

Julius Kalaš

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Production info

Original Title

Mezi nebem a zemí

Czech Title

Mezi nebem a zemí

English Title

Close to the Sky

Working Title

Mezi zemí a nebem

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy, satire

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1958

Production Year

1957—1958

Production specifications

technical Screenplay approved 19 July 1957
start of filming 9 August 1957
end of filming 18 June 1958
projection approval 28 August 1958
withdrawal from distribution 31 January 1973

Premiere

preview 17 October 1958 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 24 October 1958 /suitable for youths/ (kina Jalta /4 týdny/, Moskva /1 týden/, Veletrhy /1 týden/ a Svornost /1 týden od 14. 11./, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Šebor – Kratochvíl, Miloš V. Kratochvíl (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jiří Šebor (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

81 min

Original length in metres

2 314 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech