Hot Air

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1965

Production year

1965

Premiere

12 May 1967

Runtime

50 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionmedium

Original title

Horký vzduch

Czech title

Horký vzduch

English title

Hot Air

Summary

Scriptwriter Jiří Křižan was only 24 years old when he made his first transition to film with Horký vzduch (Hot Air, 1965), a medium-length tragicomedy with Václav Gajer as director. Gajer began shooting the film even before Křižan was accepted as a distance-learning student of screenwriting and dramaturgy at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU). The young screenwriter had previously been banned from the industry for political reasons. Despite his youth, Křižan, who was later recognised for his outstanding screenwriting, managed to convey the sensibilities of an old and impoverished country dweller pushed into an irrecoverable situation by his usurping daughter-in-law... This unjustly neglected film features a remarkable and convincing performance by the then 68-year-old Zdeněk Štěpánek, who plays the role of old man Březina. Among the film’s qualities is the telling way in which Křižan and Gajer capture the sense of social isolation in the lead character. Other veterans of the silver screen play reliable supporting roles, including Jaroslav Marvan and Václav Trégl.

Synopsis

Old man Březina is entirely dependent on his modest pension. He is not in good relations with his daughter-in-law, Štefka, and his son is a weakling unable to stand up for his father. Březina keeps the major part of his money with the local publican, who more or less feeds him for it over the month. The publican, however, unexpectedly leaves for medical treatment at a spa and his substitute refuses to help Březina. Březina thus must somehow survive until his publican returns. It is hard, the pension is low, and the old man soon runs short of bread and drink. His friends, the old fellas, would like to help him but do not know how. Eventually, Březina decides to touch his "emergency reserve" - a live rabbit. But when the old man takes the animal from the cote, the rabbit slips out of his hand and runs away. Březina tries to catch him with his last powers but fails. Exhausted, he returns to his shed where he was driven away by Štefka, and dies. After the funeral, the three old fellas sit on the bench in front of the pub - Březina's only friends.

Cast

Zdeněk Štěpánek

děda Vojta Březina

Jaroslav Marvan

pantáta Mareček

Václav Halama

Řek Panikos

Jindra Rathová

Štefka, Březinova snacha

Vilém Besser

Březinův syn

Bohumil Pokorný (2)

Voice by Jan Cmíral
hostinský Krutílek zvaný Kruťas

Josef Koza

hostinský Medonos

Marie Nademlejnská

sousedka Radačka

Crew and creators

Screenstory

Jiří Křižan

Shooting Script

Václav Gajer

Director of Photography

Václav Hanuš

Production Designer

Vladimír Labský

Make-Up Artist

Jiří Šimon

Film Editor

Jan Chaloupek

Sound Designer

Stanislav Vondraš

Production Manager

Jiří Krejčí

Cooperation

Alena Červená (fotografka)

Music

Music Composed by

Luboš Fišer

Production info

Original Title

Horký vzduch

Czech Title

Horký vzduch

English Title

Hot Air

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1965

Production Year

1965

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 19 March 1965
technical Screenplay approved 8 July 1965
start of filming 16 August 1965
end of filming 17 September 1965
projection approval 16 November 1965
withdrawal from distribution 1 August 1974
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

premiere 12 May 1967 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 4 August 1967 /suitable for youths/ (kina Paříž /1 týden/, Jiskra /½ týdne od 11. 8./, Tatra /½ týdne od 18. 8./, Kyjev /½ týdne od 25. 8./, Praha)

Creative Group

Tvůrčí skupina Novotný – Kubala, Bedřich Kubala (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Ladislav Novotný (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

medium length film

Duration in minutes

50 min

Original length in metres

1 429 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