So Near to Heaven

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1963

Production year

1963

Premiere

1 May 1964

Runtime

81 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Tak blízko u nebe

Czech title

Tak blízko u nebe

English title

So Near to Heaven

Synopsis

The first leave of two soldiers performing their national service, Jarda and Shorty [Prcek], is going to be over tomorrow. Deciding to enjoy the last night properly, they rent a room in a big hotel. Jarda has been full of hatred for women since his lover left him for another. In the hotel canteen, he recognizes a girl from his village in the pretty waitress Marie, having no idea that, long ago, he was her first platonic love. Marika, as is her name now, therefore accepts with fascination when Jarda invites her to an evening theatre performance. The pretty girl is rather admired by men but they invite her only to a dancing café, a place of superficial acquaintances. Marika does not want to go for the usual spree with her colleague Eva, and her friend thus refuses to lend her money to buy a new hat. Marika lives in the attic room of the hotel - as near as can be to heaven. She secretly takes one hundred crowns from the tablet of her roommate Anička, and even though she later borrows the money from the hairdresser Jana, she does not make to it to return the money in time. Jarda's intentions are unambiguous. To the girl's disappointment, the couple does not go to the theatre but to the café instead and then to the man's room, where Jarda loutishly gets Marika to bed. Upon her return to her room, the unhappy girl must face yet another shock - Anička has found out that the money is missing and Eva knows right away who has taken it. Marika runs away to the hotel terrace and in the morning twilight wants to jump off. She is saved by bursting into a cry of relief. It is morning and Jarda and Shorty are leaving the hotel.

Cast

Gejza Vavrecký

vojín Jarda

Aleš Košnar

vojín zvaný Prcek

Marika Gálová

servírka Marika Šámalová

Marie Lukešová

servírka Eva

Marcela Dürrová

kuchařka Anička

Ludmila Bellušová

Věra

Jiří Blažek

muž ve světlém obleku

Dana Měřičková

Jana Lysoňková

Zdeněk Vašek

Otakar Roubínek

Jiří Maršálek

Jan Šrott

Crew and creators

Assistant Director

Vratislav Dejmek

Continuity

Eva Beránková

Screenstory

Jiří Blažek

Screenplay

Jiří Blažek

Director of Photography

Jiří Šámal

Camera Operator

Rudolf Červenka

Production Designer

Jaroslav Krška

Set Designer

Vilém Janík

Sound Designer

František Strangmüller, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty)

Production Manager

Dušan Schaffer

Unit Production Manager

Vojtěch Kunčík, Jiří Kutil

Cooperation

Rudolf Červenka (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Zdeněk Liška

Production info

Original Title

Tak blízko u nebe

Czech Title

Tak blízko u nebe

English Title

So Near to Heaven

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1963

Production Year

1963

Production specifications

technical Screenplay approved 7 February 1963
start of filming 27 April 1963
end of filming 17 August 1963
projection approval 16 October 1963
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1973

Premiere

premiere 1 May 1964 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 15 May 1964 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Letka /2 týdny/, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

81 min

Original length in metres

2 320 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