Pilgrims

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1988

Production year

1987

Premiere

1 April 1989

Runtime

91 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionstudent filmlong

Original title

Poutníci

Czech title

Poutníci

English title

Pilgrims

Summary

The screenwriter, assistant director, pedagogue and film journalist Zdeněk Zaoral (1945–1996) made his debut as the director of Pavučina (The Cobweb, 1986) – a bold feature dealing with the topic of drug addiction. Two years later, he created a drama starring co-screenwriter Ondřej Pavelka. In Poutníci (Pilgrims), Pavelka plays the part of ambitious intellectual Pavel, a freshly graduated movie director who, accompanied by friends, sets out upon a journey that follows in the footsteps of Karel Hynek Mácha. The group of young people decide to perform their experimental staging of Máj (archaic Czech for “May”) at South Bohemian holiday resorts. But it seems that the tragic events presented in Mácha’s poem are casting a dark cloud over relationships among members of the amateur ensemble, tainted both by Pavel’s arrogance and his romantic pursuits… Apart from Pavelka, Eva Salzmanová, Petra Lustigová and Alena Mihulová star in this feature.

Synopsis

The First of May holiday is celebrated by a parade at the Prague Letná plain, as well as by the sculpture of Czech romantic poet Mácha at the Prague Petřín hill. A group of young people sets off wandering around the The Bohemian Forest with their staging of Mácha's poem May. The company consists of the freshly graduated director Pavel, his girlfriend - a journalism student Vanda, students of acting Petra, Zuzana and Jirka, and also Radka. Pavel's friend Honza drives them around in a horse-drawn wagon. The girl who was supposed to play Jarmila's part has not arrived and the title woman's role is assigned to Petra. The company's itinerary is the following: Rožmberk - Vyšší Brod - Lipno - Boletice - Černá in the Šumava Basin - Nová Pec - Soumarský Bridge - Lenora. The non-traditional performance is quite successful but Pavel is nervous and keeps reproaching the actors, which indeed does not help the uncertain Petra. During one performance, an unfortunate manipulation with the curtains strips off her clothes and she is exposed naked to the audience. Pavel includes Radka, who initially joined them as a maid, among the actors. Jitka blames Pavel for his arrogance and leaves the group. Vilém's part must be performed by Pavel. Their further travels are influenced by clarifying their mutual relationships. Vanda quarrels with Pavel but does not tell him about her pregnancy. Petra, having no idea about anything, yields to her concealed affection and makes love to Pavel. The girls give a presentation of a puppet performance to Pavel's displeasure. Radka, too, becomes close to Pavel when the group camps in a forest. At night, three bikers try to violate Zuzana but the rest of the troupe prevent the rape. The mood in the morning is sombre. The sad Petra lies down on the first floor of the nearby hayloft where horses are stabled. But a strong thunderstorm begins and lightning sets the hayloft on fire. Honza leads the horses out but no one knows about the sleeping Petra who dies in the burning hay.

Cast

Ondřej Pavelka

mladý režisér Pavel

Karel Hábl

Honza, Pavlův přítel

Eva Salzmannová

studentka žurnalistiky Vanda

Petra Lustigová

studentka herectví Petra

Hana Sršňová

studentka herectví Zuzana

Kateřina Lojdová

Irena, sekretářka funkcionáře Staňka

Luboš Veselý

student herectví Jirka

Jarmil Krecan

Voice by Oldřich Vlach
funkcionář Staněk

Václav Hálek

Voice by František Husák
referent Vacek

Vanda Hybnerová

funkcionářka

Karel Kadoun

velitel

Yvona Nováková

tanečnice

Vladimír Remeš

muž na kole

Jiří Havel

karbaník

Zdeněk Pecháček

vysoký motorkář

Milan Livora

motorkář

Jana Brejchová

ona sama, herečka

Oldřich Daněk

on sám, dramatik

Gustav Oplustil

on sám, televizní režisér

Jiřina Bohdalová

ona sama, herečka

Josef Bláha

on sám, herec

Jaroslav Moučka

on sám, herec

Milena Svobodová

Daniela Černá

Commentary

Dubbing

Jan Cmíral

hlas v obecním rozhlase

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Janoš Vaculík

Screenstory

Zdenek Zaoral

Director of Photography

Michal Kulič

Second Unit Photography

Jiří Maxa, Jiří Pechar, Asen Šopov

Production Designer

Kristina Novotná

Art Director

Jana Kremanová

Set Designer

Zuzana Valenová

Film Editor

Jan Chaloupek

Assistant Film Editor

Alena Kravková

Sound Designer

Josef Hubka

Special Effects

Jiří Berger (pyrotechnik)

Production Manager

Vojtěch Kunčík

Unit Production Manager

Kateřina Lojdová

Unit Production Manager

Kamil Spáčil

Cooperation

Miroslav Zůna (umělecká spolupráce), Terezie Čampulková (klapka), Klaudie Hepnerová (klapka), Zdenek Zaoral (fotograf), Petr Čurn, Olga Hlinovská, Barbora Hocková, Zdeněk Kopka, Petr Saksa, Martina Saksová, Jiří Štrébl, Eva Zaoralová, Pavel Zvarič, Jan Navrátil

Music

Music Composed by

Václav Hálek

Selected Music

Bedřich Smetana (Prodaná nevěsta /Věrné naše milování/)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), skupina Flop

Choreographer

Yvona Kreuzmannová

Songs

Frankie Dlouhán

Song Composer Glen Campbell
Writer of Lyrics Jan Nedvěd
Singer Hana Sršňová

Šlapu dál

Song Composer Jana Černochová
Writer of Lyrics Jana Černochová
Singer Alena Mihulová

Holka na vdávání

Song Composer Jana Černochová
Writer of Lyrics Jana Černochová
Singer Alena Mihulová

Čekám

Song Composer Jana Černochová
Writer of Lyrics Jana Černochová
Singer Alena Mihulová

Já prožila už

Song Composer Jana Černochová
Writer of Lyrics Jana Černochová
Singer Alena Mihulová

Production info

Original Title

Poutníci

Czech Title

Poutníci

English Title

Pilgrims

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionstudent film

Genre

drama

Student film

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1988

Production Year

1987

Production specifications

start of filming 3 July 1987
end of filming 21 August 1987
the first film copy approved 5 December 1987
projection approval 10 May 1988
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1991

Premiere

premiere 1 April 1989 /unsuitable for youths/

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

91 min

Original length in metres

2 563 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech