Jan Hřebejk and Petr Jarchovský – two distinctive personalities who would go on to form one of the most enduring writer-director partnerships in post-war Czechoslovak film – co-operated on the screenplay for this tragicomedy set in a scout (socialist-era “pioneer”) camp. Pějme píseň dohola (Let’s Sing a Song, 1990) provided the directing debut for a core member of the Sklep Theatre of Prague, Ondřej Trojan. In later years, now primarily wearing a producer’s hat, Trojan would team up on many other successful projects alongside Hřebejk and Jarchovský. This summer holiday story, mining both the bizarreness and curiosity factor of organised camp life, served as a showcase film for an emerging generation of filmmakers, and their very particular sense of style and humour. Today, Pějme píseň dohola has attained cult status. The role of female pioneer Tráva is played by the next of Hřebejk’s star finds, namely Anna Geislerová, here seen in her debut role.
Marek is driving his friend Ondra to a pioneer camp where Ondra is going to start work as a trainee. During a meeting, Ondra is introduced to the scoutmaster Bison who ends every conversation with the approving words "Otter Motter". The caretaker Čada's storehouse is full of treasures, and the bald-headed Zdeněk secretly arranges a sauna in there. Another scoutmaster, Bob, a bodybuilder of feeble brains, is responsible for the teenagers. There are two other weirdos there, the bearded Buek and the hirsute lad Jarouek. The other trainee apart from Honza is a skinny lad called Sado. All events at the camp are supervised by Margot, the uncompromising cleaning lady. The local star is the blonde medical officer Vendy, the girlfriend of Marek, but he leaves the camp straight after their first quarrel. The enchanted Ondra then tries to hook up with Vendy for the rest of the time. The children, too, are mostly personalities who are hard to overlook. Many of them have been going to the camp on a regular basis, and the usual routine thus arrives very soon - the parades with the hoisting of the flag, the campfire, the first smoking and drinking, as well as love experiences. One of the trips ends up close to the limit. Bob is injured by a ball thrown during a sports afternoon. It hits him on the head and the man almost dies amidst the hustle of the last camping hours. Bison confiscates toothpastes and cremes in order to pre-empt the practical jokes that are a traditional part of the last night. The camp is over - an ambulance arrives to take Bob to the hospital, a girl called Grass has lice and her hair must be cut short. Vendy hysterically reproaches the trainee after Marek's offended departure. Finally, the storehouse burns to the ground due to the caretaker's cigarette butt.
The story is divided by subheads: Day 1 Otter Motter; Day 2 Repeat Quickly ML; Day 5 Spoorgy Moorgy Tiger; Day 12 Painted Children; Day 13 What Is Love; Day 19 Put Your Hands in front of You; Day 20 Trooh Trooh.
praktikant Ondra Batík
zdravotnice Vendy
Voice by Mirko Musil
vedoucí tábora Pepa Poulíček zvaný Bizon
správce Jirka Čada
oddílový vedoucí Bob
oddílový vedoucí Zdeněk Faustus
oddílový vedoucí Bušek
oddílový vedoucí Jaroušek
uklízečka Margot
svazák Marek
praktikant Luděk zvaný Saďour
Lucie
Brudňák
Martina Zbořilová
Martin Kusý zvaný Magor
Sjůzn
Mireček
Hybrida
Krchov
Tráva
cikán Laco
pionýr Dan
Komár
Oleg
holčička
holčička
chlapeček
hajný
občan Brych
Jindřich Rada, Karel Vaňásek
Václav Kuba (pyrotechnik), Martin Kulhánek (pyrotechnik)
František Váša (animace), Marcela Burdová
František Stupka, Iveta Vachová
Jitka Hoferková, Michal Přikryl
František Novotný, Ondřej Nerud, Eva Dymáková
Soňa Nemcová (klapka), Vladislav Knapp (fotograf), Klára Stránská
Jiří Křivka, skupina Zikkurat
Writer of Lyrics Tomáš Hanák
Singer Martin Janouš
Song Composer Jan Nedvěd
Writer of Lyrics Jan Nedvěd
Singer Radek Říha
Song Composer Pavel Krejča
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Štaidl
Singer Petr Spálený
Song Composer Petr Novák
Writer of Lyrics Ivo Plicka
Singer Petr NovákVěra Wajsarová
Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer Valerie Halabicová
Singer sbor
Song Composer lidová píseňJaroslav Hutka /úprava/Štěpán Rak /úprava/
Writer of Lyrics lidová píseňJaroslav Hutka /úprava/
Singer Martin Janouš
Pějme píseň dohola
Pějme píseň dohola
Let’s Sing a Song
film
featuretheatrical distribution
tragicomedy
Czechoslovakia
1990
1990
premiere 15 July 1991 /suitable for youths/
renewed premiere 9 July 1998 /recommended for 12 and over/ (multiplex Galaxie, Praha)
A crass epic based on solid Socialist Realism and set in a Communist youth summer camp, Written in maker pens on birch bark! (1991) / A crass epic based on solid Socialist Realism and set in a Communist youth summer camp, Written in maker pen on birch bark! (1998)
Lucernafilm – Gama (původní 1991), Bontonfilm – Beta (obnovená 1998)
IV. tvůrčí skupina Rarášek, Dušan Kukal (vedoucí IV. vůrčí skupiny Rarášek), Jan Janda (vedoucí produkce IV. tvůrčí skupiny Rarášek)
feature film
103 min
35mm
1:1,66
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech