Close to the Sky
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1958Production year
1957—1958Premiere
24 October 1958Runtime
81 minDirector
Zdeněk PodskalskýCategory
filmGenre
comedy, satireTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Mezi nebem a zemíCzech title
Mezi nebem a zemíEnglish title
Close to the SkyWorking title
Mezi zemí a nebemSynopsis
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.
Photos
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
Lubomír Lipský
redaktor
Stella Zázvorková
učitelka hudby/nebeská dirigentka
Walter Taub
lékárník
Ota Motyčka
redaktor Šalplachta
Arnošt Faltýnek
trafikant
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
Zdeněk Hodr
lékař
Lubomír Bryg
pacient
Milan Neděla
pokrývač Tonda
Zdeněk Najman
pokrývač Lojza
Zdeněk Řehoř
holič Krupička
Václav Wasserman
pacient
Josef Kruml
kluk s novinami/čertík
František Suk
žadatel Houf
Hynek Němec
pacient
Ladislav Gzela
muž v hospodě
Jaroslav Jílovec
žadatel na úřadě
Jiří Hajný
příslušník Bezpečnosti
Commentary
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Jana Pokorná, Jaroslav Ullmann
Screenstory
Screenplay
Director of Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Jaroslav Ciboch, Antonín Pašek
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Music
Music Composed by
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)
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
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
