That Instant, That While
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1981Production year
1980—1981Premiere
15 May 1981Runtime
100 minDirector
Jiří SequensCategory
filmGenre
dramaTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Ta chvíle, ten okamžikCzech title
Ta chvíle, ten okamžikEnglish title
That Instant, That WhileWorking title
OkamžikySummary
Based on a novel of the same name by Otakar Chaloupek, this 1981 drama, directed by Jiří Sequens, is set in late autumn 1944. The protagonist of the story is surgeon Kodet, who is assisting a resistance group but ends up being accused of collaborating with the Nazis. The reason is that he gave the Gestapo an anti-German leaflet, declaring it to be a manifest provocation. While the doctor secretly – and with full enthusiasm – assists the partisans, his suspicious acquaintances are nonetheless planning to hand Kodet over to the enemy. Director Jiří Sequens succeeds in filling Ta chvíle, ten okamžik (That Instant, That While) with an atmosphere of pervasive distrust. František Němec assists matters with a convincing performance as the selfless doctor. The role of Kodet’s estranged wife Olga – the doctor’s last line of support in times of crisis – is played by Daniela Kolářová.
Synopsis
It is winter 1944. A senior consultant, Kodet, performs an operation and contemplates the moments which have brought him to his present tragic situation. – In the hospital, he warns a patient called Novák that he is asking for trouble and in danger of losing his hand by intentionally infecting his wound. He catches nurse Vlasta red-handed with a young doctor, Valsa, and threatens to fire her. He decides to hand in an anti-German leaflet found in his letter box because the paper seems to be of too high quality for an illegal print. It is indeed a provocation and five members of the local intelligentsia except him are arrested. Kodet's visit to the Gestapo does not pass unnoticed and the doctor is believed to be a quisling. His only support is Helena with whom he shares a happy but childless marriage. Cousin Běta prevents her son Karlík from visiting the couple. Kodet is secretly contacted by his former schoolmate Brázda with whom he once parted due to his radical communist views. Brázda asks for help for the partisans. He himself is severely wounded after several days and Kodet and an ambulance driver, František, transport him with many difficulties from the forest to Kodet's villa. Kodet's operation saves his life. Karlík, who has run away from his mother to the villa, unfortunately discloses the wounded man's presence to Vlasta who reports Kodet to a Gestapo commander, frightened of being called up to do forced labour in Nazi Germany. Brázda shoots himself dead during the roundup. In front of the villa, Karlík is accidentally ran over by a Gestapo car and his surgery is the last one Kodet is allowed to carry out. Novák observes his apprehension with contentment – after all, a collaborator is being arrested.
Note
The Film Studio Barrandov dedicated the film to the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the Czechoslovak Communist Party.
Photos
Cast
František Němec
MUDr. Jan Kodet
Daniela Kolářová
Helena, Kodetova žena
Luděk Munzar
šéf gestapa Baumann
Ladislav Frej
komunista Brázda
Rudolf Jelínek
řidič sanitky František
Jevgenij Žarikov
Boris
Vilém Besser
MUDr. Heřman
Petr Svojtka
Voice by Jan Hartl
MUDr. Valsa
Libuše Geprtová
Běla, Kodetova sestřenice
Jiří Strnad
Karlík, Bělin syn
Miluše Šplechtová
zdravotní sestra Vlasta
Josef Vinklář
pacient Josef Novák
Dalimil Klapka
usmívající se gestapák
Karel Urbánek
gestapák v civilu
Alena Karešová
vrchní sestra
Eva Klepáčová
anestezioložka
Jaroslav Drbohlav
partyzán Honza
Tomáš Juřička
partyzán Valeš
Robert Vrchota
kavárník Musil
Jaroslav Mareš
vrátný nemocnice
Bohuslav Čáp
lékárník
Vladimír Salač
Kryštof
Václav Kotva
Hovorka
Bohdan Kysil
nemocný mladík
Beatrice Pšeničková
zpěvačka
Jan Vágner
Steiner
Jiřina Zemanová
šatnářka
Soňa Dvořáková
dáma v klobouku
Oldřich Semerák
velitel SS
Michael Tarant
motohlídka SS
Antonín Hausknecht
řidič prvního auta
Karel Engel
řidič druhého auta
Roman Hrudka
muž o berlích
Karel Fridrich
číšník
Zdenka Borovičková
host ve vinárně
Jitka Havlíčková
host ve vinárně
Roman Janoušek
host ve vinárně
Karolína Kubalová
host ve vinárně
Lilka Leszkowová
host ve vinárně
Jana Robenková
host ve vinárně
Daniel Rous
host ve vinárně
Nina Strnadová-Jarková
host ve vinárně
Jiří Sequens ml.
host ve vinárně
Oto Ševčík
německý důstojník ve vinárně
Anatolij Šakin
muž v kabátě
Arnošt Böhm
příslušník Sonderkomanda
Jiří Kraus
příslušník Sonderkomanda
Miroslav Lahoda
příslušník Sonderkomanda
Josef Hrubý
stráž gestapa
Zbyněk Krákora
stráž gestapa
Jiří Kasík
stráž SS
Pavel Myslík
stráž SS
Jaroslav Vlk
stráž SS
Radúz Chmelík
gestapák
Jiří Kalenský
řidič u Baumanna
Vladimír Bár
hudebník
Zdeněk Ladislav Hertl
hudebník
Josef Charvát
hudebník
Ladislav Mrázek
hudebník
Jan Pačes
hudebník
Ladislav Pačes
hudebník
Jiří Schenzer
hudebník
Jiří Vondrovic
hudebník
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Helena Rohanová
Assistant Director
Continuity
Based on
Otakar Chaloupka (Ta chvíle, ten okamžik – novela)
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Set Designer
Karel Kočí, Jan Hodný
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jaroslava Pražská, Bohdan Kysil
Unit Production Manager
Bohumil Vlach
Cooperation
Zina Kršková (klapka), Jaromír Komárek (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens)
Songs
My tančíme swing
Song Composer Karel Mareš
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Sís
Singer Beatrice Pšeničková
Lili Marleen
Song Composer Norbert Schultze
Production info
Original Title
Ta chvíle, ten okamžik
Czech Title
Ta chvíle, ten okamžik
English Title
That Instant, That While
Working Title
Okamžiky
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
drama
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1981
Production Year
1980—1981
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 20 October 1980
start of filming 27 October 1980
technical Screenplay approved 6 November 1980
end of filming 24 April 1981
projection approval 24 April 1981
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990
Premiere
premiere 15 May 1981 /suitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
Dramaturgická skupina Karla Valtery, Karel Valtera (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
100 min
Original length in metres
2 841 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,37
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech, German
Subtitles languages
Czech
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Festival: 20. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ústí nad Labem
1982
Ústí nad Labem / Czechoslovakia
František Němec
Vítěz
Festival: 20. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ústí nad Labem
1982
Ústí nad Labem / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 8. celostátní festival zdravotnických filmů Podbořany
1981
Podbořany / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 12. mezinárodní filmový festival Moskva
1981
Moskva / Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
