The Lanfieri Colony
Country
Czechoslovakia, Union of Soviet Socialist RepublicsCopyright
1969Production year
1968Premiere
26 September 1969Runtime
83 minDirector
Jan SchmidtCategory
filmGenre
adventureTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Kolonie LanfieriCzech title
Kolonie LanfieriEnglish title
The Lanfieri ColonyCo-production title
Kolonija LanfierSummary
Following his intimate post-apocalyptic drama Konec srpna v hotelu Ozon (The End of August at the Ozone Hotel, 1966), Jan Schmidt turned to directing Kolonie Lanfieri (The Lanfieri Colony, 1969), a thrilling adventure film inspired by an Alexander Grin story. The film's protagonist is Horn, a lone wolf who only slowly reveals his past to the inhabitants of a forgotten island. Horn has said goodbye to his previous life because of an ill-starred affection for a girl from a rich family. But the discovery of gold in a creek ignites a desire in Horn to return home a wealthy man. His vision quickly transforms into an obsession for which he is willing to sacrifice anything, including happiness and the lives of his peaceful new neighbours… The final shaping of this Czechoslovakian-Soviet coproduction, shot in Crimea and the Caucasus, was affected by the dramatic events of August 1968. Lithuanian actor Juozas Budraitis took the leading role, while other parts were taken by Czechoslovak actors (Zuzana Kocúriková, Václav Neckář, Michal Dočolomanský).
Synopsis
A handsome young man called Horn gets off a Dutch ship on a small godforsaken island. He builds a shack by the mountain lake and sometimes goes to the local village to buy things. He spends his days fishing and hunting with the local fool Bekeko. Beautiful Ester, fiancée of a young man called Dribb, sometimes comes to visit. A strong bond of trust develops between Horn and Ester, and he confesses to her why he deserted his previous life. He fell in love with a girl from a rich family and didn't have enough money to marry her. One day, Horn's peaceful days at the island are suddenly over. He discovers gold in the local brook and begins to pan it enthusiastically. He starts longing to return to the world of money as a rich man. He refuses Ester's love and even kills the harmless Bekeko. He also shoots Ester's fiancé in a fight. Before he dies, the young man manages to utter Horn's name, and men from the village come to take vengeance on him. They surround Horn in his shack. Trying to save his bare life, Horn throws purses full of gold at the natives. He uses the confusion that follows to escape but is caught and shot on the shore of the sea that was to be his saviour.
Note
The première in the Soviet Union was on the 11th of August 1969.
Photos
Cast
Juozas Budrajtis
Voice by Zdeněk Ornest
Horn
Zuzana Kocúriková
Voice by Jana Andresíková
Ester
Václav Neckář
blázen Bekeko
Michal Dočolomanský
mladý Dribb
Josef Elsner
starý Dribb
Bolot Bejšenalijev
Voice by Lubomír Kostelka
Goupi, chovatel sviní
Beta Poničanová
Voice by Marie Vášová
Saba
Bohumil Vávra
Astis, Esteřin otec
Andrej Fajt
Voice by Ferdinand Krůta
Lanfieri
Jiří Bukvaj
farmář
Karel Čížek
farmář
František Fontén
farmář
Miroslav Kalný
farmář
Vladimír Navrátil
farmář
František Nechyba
farmář
Miloslav Svoboda
farmář
František Šeba
starý farmář
Miroslav Laňka
karbaník
Miloslav Novák
karbaník
Gustav Vondráček
karbaník
Svatava Uhlířová
mulatka
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Milan Jonáš, Marija Filimonova
Assistant Director
Oleg Zernov
Continuity
Based on
Alexandr Grin (Kolonie Lanfieri – povídka)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
František Fabián, Bohumír Brunclík (zvukové efekty), Jurij Rabinovič
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Antonín Navrátil, František Jaderník
Consultant
Andrej Keppert, Josef Denkr, František Linhart
Cooperation
Bohumila Velková (klapka), Zdeněk Wimmer, Alexej Muravjov
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Production info
Original Title
Kolonie Lanfieri
Czech Title
Kolonie Lanfieri
English Title
The Lanfieri Colony
Co-production Title
Kolonija Lanfier
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
adventure
Origin country
Czechoslovakia, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Copyright
1969
Production Year
1968
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 12 July 1967
technical Screenplay approved 27 February 1968
start of filming 31 May 1968
end of filming 6 December 1968
the first film copy approved 18 March 1969
projection approval 14 April 1969
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1989
Premiere
premiere 26 September 1969 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 2 October 1969 /suitable for youths/ (kina 64 U Hradeb /2 týdny/, Městská knihovna /2 týdny od 16. 10./, Klub /1 týden od 30. 10./ a Blaník /1 týden od 6. 11./, Praha)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Tvůrčí skupina Šebor – Bor, Vladimír Bor (vedoucí dramaturg tvůrčí skupiny), Jiří Šebor (vedoucí výroby tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
83 min
Original length in metres
2 359 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,66, 1:2,35
Colour
black & white
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 6. mezinárodní filmový festival Moskva
1969
Moskva / Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
