An East German-Czechoslovak co-production inspired by a tale from author Ladislav Dvorský. The film tells the story of three German boys, confronted at the end of the First World War with some fundamental truths about human nature. Overcoming their different social backgrounds, Paul, Willi and Heinrich have formed solid friendships. When the trio helps to hide two war deserters, Heinrich enters a world of conflict. At home, the youngster has been raised in a climate of strong patriotism and duty. Ultimately, he discovers that his strict, militant grandfather once played a major role in the fate of his family... This 1976 historical drama is a signature effort by director Jaromil Jireš, who during the “normalisation” era tended to focus more on detached, lyrical projects lacking a personal authorial stamp. Among the German-Czech cast, Vladimír Dlouhý excels as the deserter Tony. Eighteen-year-old Iva Bittová marks her film debut in the minor role of artiste Tereza.
The late summer of 1918. Paul, Willi and Heinrich from an age-old German town are good friends, although there is a great deal that divides them. Heinrich comes from an officer's family with an army tradition and is preparing to enter cadet college. Paul's father and grandfather are workers, and Willi, left to depend on himself, works as a hotel messenger. The last year of the war is hard for everyone, but while Paul and Willi know their own minds and do not hesitate to help the war fugitives Tony and Sepp, for Heinrich everything is more complicated. He respects the rules that have been harshly instilled in him by his grandfather Colonel von Bülow, but he still cannot bring himself to betray the deserters in hiding. He also senses that the death of his father at the front is surrounded by a mystery that neither his mother nor grandfather is willing to explain. The gendarmes and militia are looking for the escaped men and also following up hints of a planned rebellion. The trail leads them to the island of herons where the three friends have often spent moments of leisure together. Sepp falls into the hands of the commander von Bülow. From their conversation Heinrich realizes that his grandfather is guilty of the death of his father. Sepp grabs the colonel's gun and forces him to call off the search. The colonel treacherously aims a hunting rifle secretly hidden at Sepp, but Heinrich dashes it to the ground and leaves the colonel with words of contempt. Tony, however, hidden is shot by the gendarmes. The boys' friendship continues.
In the introductory titles of the film, Věra Kalábová let her name be used instead of the screenplay writer František Pavlíček, who could not be credited as the author at the time for political reasons.
Voice by Ota Sklenčka
plukovník von Bülow
Voice by Petr Haničinec
zběh Sepp Erdmann
dezertér Tony
Voice by Michal Pešek
student Heinrich, plukovníkův vnuk
Paul Meyer, Heinrichův kamarád
poslíček Willi, Heinrichův kamarád
Voice by Viola Zinková
Hilda von Bülow, Heinrichova matka
Voice by Jana Šulcová
artistka Tereza
Voice by Luděk Kopřiva
velitel četnictva
Voice by Josef Větrovec
děda Meyer
cirkusák Jan Král
Králova žena
Králův syn
zatčený dělník
dělník
dělník
dělník
dělník/strojvůdce
Voice by Jan Skopeček
přednosta stanice
jezdecký důstojník
poddůstojník
Voice by Mirko Musil
Gustav, příkazník u Bülowa
přednostova žena
jízdní četník
jízdní četník
jízdní četník
jízdní četník
hoteliér
harmonikář
válečný invalida
mladý důstojník
Voice by Eva Svobodová
hospodyně
jízdní důstojník
starý voják
důstojník domobrany
četník
četník
četník
stařena u okna
muž s dogou
strážný
hlas četníka
hlas důstojníka domobrany
německý hlas v Tonyho vzpomínce
Michael Englberger
Ladislav Dvorský (Ostrov stříbrných volavek – povídka)
František Pavlíček (pod jménem Věry Kalábové), Inge Wüste-Heym, Jaromil Jireš (spolupráce na dialozích)
Ivan Urban (Filmové studio Barrandov), Christel Gräf (DEFA)
Bohumír Schwarzer
Marlene Willmann, Bohumil Pokorný, Jan Oliva, Siegfried Stallner
Vladimír Ježek, Ladislav Winkelhöfer, Jiří Žák, Werner Zettler
Jaroslav Vágner, Detlef Willecke, Karel Prchal, Werner Fritzsche
František Michálek (jezdectví), Charly Vogel
Olga Kourová (klapka), Vladimír Souček (fotograf), Siegfried Bergmann (dokumentární záběry), Karl-Heinz Halle (dokumentární záběry)
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Hudební sbor lidové armády Magdeburg
Ostrov stříbrných volavek
Ostrov stříbrných volavek
Island of the Silver Herons
Die Insel der Silberreiher
film
featuretheatrical distribution
drama
Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic
1976
1976
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990
premiere 21 January 1977 /suitable for youths/
Dramaturgická skupina filmů pro děti a mládež, Ota Hofman (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Roter Kreis (DEFA), Thea Richter (vedoucí skupiny Roter Kreis DEFA)
feature film
75 min
2 166 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,66
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech, German
without subtitles
Czech
Festival: 17. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov
1977
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Bohumil Pokorný
Festival: 17. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov
1977
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Jaromil Jireš
Festival: 17. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov
1977
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Marlene Willmann
Festival: 15. festival českých a slovenských filmů Bratislava
1977
Bratislava / Czechoslovakia
Jaromil Jireš