Island of the Silver Herons

Country

Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic

Copyright

1976

Production year

1976

Premiere

21 January 1977

Runtime

75 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Ostrov stříbrných volavek

Czech title

Ostrov stříbrných volavek

English title

Island of the Silver Herons

Co-production title

Die Insel der Silberreiher

Summary

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.

Synopsis

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.

Note

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.

Cast

Erwin Geschonneck

Voice by Ota Sklenčka
plukovník von Bülow

Günter Naumann

Voice by Petr Haničinec
zběh Sepp Erdmann

Vladimír Dlouhý

dezertér Tony

Michal Vavruša

Voice by Michal Pešek
student Heinrich, plukovníkův vnuk

Petr Voříšek

Paul Meyer, Heinrichův kamarád

Tomáš Vacek

poslíček Willi, Heinrichův kamarád

Heidemarie Wenzel

Voice by Viola Zinková
Hilda von Bülow, Heinrichova matka

Iva Bittová

Voice by Jana Šulcová
artistka Tereza

Wolfgang Greese

Voice by Luděk Kopřiva
velitel četnictva

Erich Mirek

Voice by Josef Větrovec
děda Meyer

Jaromír Joo

cirkusák Jan Král

Gabriela Najmanová

Králova žena

Jindřich Joo

Králův syn

Vladimír Navrátil

zatčený dělník

Hannes Stelzer

dělník

Jaromír Vaverka

dělník

Alois Čuřík

dělník

Karel Chromík

dělník/strojvůdce

Peter Kalisch

Voice by Jan Skopeček
přednosta stanice

Dieter Knust

jezdecký důstojník

Frank Ciazynski

poddůstojník

Klaus Tilsner

Voice by Mirko Musil
Gustav, příkazník u Bülowa

Brigitte Beier

přednostova žena

Hans-Gotthilf Brown

jízdní četník

Klaus Ebeling

jízdní četník

Werner Ehrlicher

jízdní četník

Harald Engelmann

jízdní četník

Ernst Peter Berndt

hoteliér

Arnold Kern

harmonikář

Eberhard Dörner

válečný invalida

Holm Henning Freier

mladý důstojník

Else Sanden

Voice by Eva Svobodová
hospodyně

Jürgen Hölzel

jízdní důstojník

Peter Veith

starý voják

Karl Chalas

důstojník domobrany

Michael Englberger

četník

Detlef Willecke

četník

Nita Romanečová

stařena u okna

Wolfgang Eckstein

muž s dogou

Wolfgang Bathke

strážný

Dubbing

Bedřich Šetena

hlas četníka

Vladimír Pospíšil

hlas důstojníka domobrany

Jindřich Narenta

německý hlas v Tonyho vzpomínce

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Michael Englberger

Assistant Director

Jiří Světlík

Based on

Ladislav Dvorský (Ostrov stříbrných volavek – povídka)

Screenplay

František Pavlíček (pod jménem Věry Kalábové), Inge Wüste-Heym, Jaromil Jireš (spolupráce na dialozích)

Dramaturg

Ivan Urban (Filmové studio Barrandov), Christel Gräf (DEFA)

Director of Photography

Jan Čuřík

Second Unit Photography

Oldřich Hubáček

Camera Operator

Bohumír Schwarzer

Costume Designer

Svatava Sophová

Film Editor

Josef Valušiak

Assistant Film Editor

Růžena Hejsková, Jana Šimonová

Production Manager

Zdeněk Oves, Oscar Ludmann

Unit Production Manager

Jaroslav Vágner, Detlef Willecke, Karel Prchal, Werner Fritzsche

Unit Production Manager

Tomáš Baloun

Consultant

František Michálek (jezdectví), Charly Vogel

Cooperation

Olga Kourová (klapka), Vladimír Souček (fotograf), Siegfried Bergmann (dokumentární záběry), Karl-Heinz Halle (dokumentární záběry)

Music

Music Composed by

Luboš Fišer

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín), Hudební sbor lidové armády Magdeburg

Production info

Original Title

Ostrov stříbrných volavek

Czech Title

Ostrov stříbrných volavek

English Title

Island of the Silver Herons

Co-production Title

Die Insel der Silberreiher

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia, German Democratic Republic

Copyright

1976

Production Year

1976

Production specifications

withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990

Premiere

premiere 21 January 1977 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina filmů pro děti a mládež, Ota Hofman (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Roter Kreis (DEFA), Thea Richter (vedoucí skupiny Roter Kreis DEFA)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

75 min

Original length in metres

2 166 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, German

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Festival: 17. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov

1977
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Bohumil Pokorný

Vítěz

Festival: 17. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov

1977
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Jaromil Jireš

Vítěz

Festival: 17. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov

1977
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Marlene Willmann

Vítěz

Festival: 15. festival českých a slovenských filmů Bratislava

1977
Bratislava / Czechoslovakia
Jaromil Jireš