Animals in Town
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1989Production year
1988Premiere
1 September 1989Runtime
90 minDirector
Václav KřístekCategory
filmGenre
psychologicalTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Zvířata ve městěCzech title
Zvířata ve městěEnglish title
Animals in TownSummary
This tragi-comedy mirroring the feelings of thirtysomethings at the end of the 1980s gave director Václav Křístek his feature-film debut in 1989. It followed his contribution to the anthology film Záhada bermudského trojuhelníku (The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, 1987). Zvířata ve městě (Animals in Town), which also enabled screenwriter Jaroslav Vanč to break into feature films, tells the story of Karel Brach, a bachelor who grows close to Inge, a palaeontologist. Karel is an unstable character with an unreliable nature, who finds himself facing ever bigger problems, which also involve his peer Igor. In this “morally ecological” film, the filmmakers contrast animals shut in cages at the zoo with the protagonists, locked into their pre-set lives. Václav Koubek (Karel), Ivana Chýlková (Inge) and Ondřej Pavelka (Igor) star. The mysterious man, who turns out to be the narrator, is the singer Jan Vodňanský.
Synopsis
A thirty-three-year-old bachelor, named Karel Brach, needs an expert for the members of the Young Natural ScientistsTown Station. His friend Igor recommends to him a palaeontologist called Inge from the geological institute. Karel's meeting with the woman scientist of his age, who does not think herself attractive, does not end well. But the two people soon become close due to their shared views on the status of people and animals on the globe, and they eventually become lovers. Inge blooms, which is observed by the provocative taxidermist Jaruka with displeasure. Karel takes Inge to visit his friend Lojza, a herpetologist and herbalist. Inge and Lojza find out that they share a love of snakes and the entire living nature. Inge wants to have a child with Karel but the man resolutely rejects the idea. Soon after, Inge finds Karel and Jaruka embracing. She runs away and does not want to talk to her lover. Karel gets drunk and lets his young wards drink and smoke, too. The whole matter is revealed and Karel is fired. Igor fortunately gets him a job in a zoo. Here, Karel becomes intimate with his colleague Laura and later marries her. Inge is pregnant by Lojza who now undergoes treatment in the Prague lunatic asylum of Bohnice. She, however, turns down Igor's proposal to marry her. After some time, she visits Igor and Karel with her several-months-old baby. Lojza, who escaped from the asylum, opens the cages in the zoo. The animal keepers catch him and also try to catch all the released animals. Inge, accompanied by Karel and Igor, leaves the zoo through the back entrance.
Photos
Cast
Ivana Chýlková
paleontoložka Inge Sezimová zvaná Žirafka
Václav Koubek
Karel Brach zvaný Medvěd
Ondřej Pavelka
RNDr. Igor Hána, vedoucí propagace
Ján Sedal
údržbář Lojza, herpetolog a bylinkář
Veronika Gajerová
preparátorka Jaruška
Arnošt Goldflam
docent Láďa Kupka
Jan Vodňanský
autor-vypravěč
František Husák
buldozerista Josef
Miloslav Štibich
bagrista Pepa
Václav Helšus
zoopatolog
Helena Rejšková-Lehká
úřednice
Bohumil Vávra
vedoucí stanice mladých přírodovědců
Erik Grec
mičurinec Pindík
Monika Načeva
Voice by Dana Bartůňková
ošetřovatelka v zoo Laura
Jaromír Šlápota
ošetřovatel Peťar
Iva Hüttnerová
Ostrá, Pindíkova matka
Martin Krulich
mičurinec Matěj
Ivan Landa
mičurinec Čoud
Petr Löwy
mičurienc Had
Filip Guttenberg
mičurinec Mlok
Jakub Exner
mičurinec
František Kohútek
mičurinec
Adam Křístek
mičurinec
Michal Achs
mičurinec
Josef Hervert
mičurinec
Petr Lužecký
mičurinec
Vlastimila Vlková
babička
Jana Robenková
babička
Vladimír Huber
hlídač v muzeu Skála
Milan Charvát
řidič
Viktorie Knotková
domovnice
Vlastimil Venclík
ošetřovatel
František Švihlík
stavbyvedoucí
Monika Herbichová
vnadná dívka
Miloslav Kopečný
číšník
Antonín Křížek
Voice by Pavel Nový
myslivec
Pavel Havránek
štamgast
Vladimír Hrabánek
štamgast
Josef Hervert st.
štamgast
Daniel Šedivák
svědek na svatbě
Jaroslav Vanča
host na svatbě
Karel Hovorka
ředitel zoologické zahrady
Michaela Srbová
manekýna
Jiří Kuba
dubl za Václava Koubka
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Assistant Director
Jana Kůtková
Continuity
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Tomáš Pavlíček
Production Designer
Set Designer
Ivan Ernyei, Bohumil Kadlec, Dana Smržová, Milan Šebo
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Special Effects
Stunts
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Bohumil Vlach, Vlasta Synkulová
Unit Production Manager
Bára Jelínková
Consultant
Ivan Stuchlý, Petr Šmerák
Cooperation
Alice Sotonová (klapka), Alena Červená (fotografka), Jiří Mašek (2), ZOO Praha, ZOO Liberec, Divadlo zvířat Vladimira Durova, Josef Staněk (práce se zvířaty)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Hudební organizace Ondřeje Soukupa (Music Conducted by Ondřej Soukup)
Songs
Co jste, hasiči
Singer sbor
Ožeň se, bratře
Song Composer Ladislav Štancl
Writer of Lyrics František Gellner
Singer sbor
Do lesíčka na čekanou
Song Composer lidová píseňMiloš Vacek /úprava/
Singer František HusákMiloslav Štibich
Náhrobní kámen
Song Composer Petr Novák
Writer of Lyrics Ivo Plicka
Singer sbor
Production info
Original Title
Zvířata ve městě
Czech Title
Zvířata ve městě
English Title
Animals in Town
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
psychological
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1989
Production Year
1988
Production specifications
literary Screenplay approved 25 June 1987
technical Screenplay approved 10 June 1988
start of filming 18 July 1988
end of filming 7 October 1988
the first film copy approved 22 December 1988
projection approval 29 December 1988
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1992
Premiere
premiere 1 September 1989 /unsuitable for youths/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
Creative Group
1. tvůrčí skupina, Jiří Blažek (vedoucí 1. tvůrčí skupiny)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
90 min
Original length in metres
2 701 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 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
