Prague Selection

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1990

Production year

1990

Premiere

1 April 1991

Runtime

93 min

Category

film

Genre

music

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Pražákům, těm je hej

Czech title

Pražákům, těm je hej

English title

Prague Selection

Working title

Příběh jedné kapely

Summary

This stylised docudrama is a fanciful tale presenting the rock band Pražský výběr (Prague Selection) in the spirit of the relaxed atmosphere that immediately followed the November 1989 Velvet Revolution. The film, combining reality, fiction and parodies of both, was directed by Karel Smyczek together with the popular band’s frontman Michael Kocáb. It hyperbolically recaps on the band’s fortunes and misfortunes since 1984. Kocáb not only delivers the part of himself, but also that of a narrator, the oaf Ropotámo, who was an integral part of the band’s stage performances. The band endures bans imposed by the communist regime, as well as an internal conflict between Kocáb and guitarist Michael Pavlíček. The film’s narrative culminates with a concert at the Prague Lucerna venue on the eve of the November revolution. The totalitarian regime has met its demise, but the united performances of the band have not… In addition to members of Pražský výběr, the film also features other showbiz celebrities, such as Lucie Bílá, Bára Basiková and Frank Zappa.

Synopsis

It is 1984. A rubber mask of an ugly old man – Ropotamus – lies on the street. It is later worn by the guide throughout the film. The musician Michael Kocáb is at home, throwing a drawn ball at a member of his music group, Prague Selection, Michal Pavlíček. Ropotamo picks up the phone and someone tells him that the group can perform again after having been banned. Its concert in the Lucerna music hall is interspersed with the journalist Lipčík's interviews with the participants. Those who decide about the bans are various officials holding various positions; they are represented as the Small, Medium and Big Tie in the film. During the bands' ban, its members had to find their living elsewhere in order to provide for their families. Kocáb composes stage music, the bass guitar player Vilém Čok plays in a bar, the guitar player Pavlíček performs with the group Stromboli. When the Prague Selection plays in the Karlín Musical Theatre, the organizers call the police with dogs to calm down the high-spirited fans. Work disputes between Kocáb and Pavlíček develop into a fight in a mud ring. Pavlíček phones to apologize for his absence from a rehearsal due to drunkenness. Kocáb is angry and leaves the group to work on the musical Ulysses. Pavlíček, sleeping on a bench, is woken up by a policeman. Čok and the percussionist David Koller go to a pub together. Prague Selection records the song Strainer in a TV studio, but the musicians and the director run into conflict. Pavlíček, drunk, destroys an India rubber-fig plant in a hotel. The percussionist quarrels with the manager. Kocáb opens the door and jumps to the water behind it. As soon as Pavlíček sobers up, he tries to recover the destroyed plant. He must see a doctor because his hearing has significantly worsened. In his idyllic fantasies, he sees himself standing by a weir with drawn swans and Ropotamo cruising around. The officials – the Ties – discuss the group's next potential ban. Kocáb, Pavlíček and Čok hide in dustbins before the gushing water cannon. The group refuses the offered tour in the Ostrava region – they have no substitute for the percussionist who has fled the country in the meantime. The performance, which they are forced to make, is not successful and ends up in yet another quarrel. The desperate Čok punches a hole in a pane of glass with his hand and is severely wounded. He is taken to Prague from a regional hospital which refuses to carry out any surgery. Kocáb is with him and, on the way, hallucinates about meeting the Big Tie who appoints him as the president of music. At a place of execution, he can choose the gallows, electric chair, or guillotine. Ropotamo appears next to the guillotine which was Kocáb's choice. The film director and the group are in the cutting room, discussing shots from the Lucerna concert, held on November 16, 1989 – on the eve of the outbreak of the Velvet Revolution. After the revolution, Kocáb becomes a parliamentary deputy and the others have other commitments, too. But they still want to perform with Prague Selection from time to time. At the next Lucerna concert, Kocáb sings in the Ropotamus mask, but the odd man is in the audience as well. The closing titles are followed by shots of Kocáb meeting the American musician Frank Zappa in Prague.

Film online

Cast

Michael Kocáb

on sám, člen skupiny Pražský výběr, hráč na klávesové nástroje a zpěvák Michael Kocáb

Michal Pavlíček

on sám, člen skupiny Pražský výběr, kytarista a zpěvák Michal Pavlíček

Vilém Čok

on sám, člen skupiny Pražský výběr, baskytarista a zpěvák Vilém Čok

David Koller

hráč na bicí Klaudius Kryšpín

Roman Skamene

manažer Béďa Pokrovský

Miloslav Štibich

Střední kravata

Otomar Dvořák

Velká kravata

Vlastimil Zavřel

Malá kravata

Simona Stašová

sekretářka

Lucie Bílá

Čokovka

Boleslav Polívka

strážmistr VB

Arnošt Goldflam

MUDr. Kalvoda

Bára Basiková

ona sama, zpěvačka Bára Basiková

Frank Zappa

on sám, americký zpěvák Frank Zappa

Jan Foll

on sám, hudební kritik Jan Foll

Michal Suchánek

fanoušek skupiny Pražský výběr

Oldřich Kaiser

on sám, herec Oldřich Kaiser

Michal Prokop

on sám, zpěvák Michal Prokop

Valerie Kaplanová

babka na Žižkově

Marsha Kocábová

ona sama, Marsha, Kocábova manželka

Natálie Kocábová

ona sama, Natálie, Kocábova dcera

Jessica Kocábová

ona sama, Jessica, Kocábova dcera

Katrin Krautwurmová

dívka v kroji

Petra Špalková

dívka v kroji

D. Kratochvílová

dívka v kroji

Jiří Lábus

on sám, herec Jiří Lábus

Vladimír Merta

on sám, hudebník Vladimír Merta

Zdenek Merta

on sám, hudebník Zdeněk Merta

Michal Horáček

zraněný muž v hospodě

Karel Smyczek

agresivní muž v hospodě

Jan Hraběta

číšník

Michaela Flenerová

Muzikantská Liduška

Dagmar Andrtová-Voňková

Evžen Černý

Jaromír Hiadlovský

Miroslav Kolín

Otto Rambousek

Vladimír Vyšín

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Petr Hartl, Jan Menšík

Assistant Director

Renata Čihulková, Jarmila Čajová

Second Unit Photography

Martin Grošup

Camera Operator

Vladimír Křepelka

Production Designer

Boris Halmi

Assistent Production Designer

Olga Rosenfelderová

Art Director

Pavel Koutský

Set Designer

Ivan Břešťák, Jaroslav Česal, Petr Průša, Marek Šíma

Costume Designer

Simona Rybáková

Film Editor

Zdenek Patočka

Assistant Film Editor

Gabriela Pitráková

Sound Designer

Václav Vondráček, Jitka Zvirocká (zvukové efekty)

Special Effects

Jiří Berger (pyrotechnik), Václav Kuba (pyrotechnik)

Production Manager

Václav Eisenhamer

Unit Production Manager

Hana Štefanová, Slavomíra Jílková, Ladislava Kašáková

Unit Production Manager

Martin Kuk, Milan Maňák

Cooperation

Alice Šafránková (klapka), Jaromír Komárek (fotograf), Šimon Caban, František Čásenský, Hana Hrabětová, Ivo Špalj

Music

Selected Music

Carl Maria von Weber (Čarostřelec /Der Freischütz/ – opera)

Music Performed by

Pražský výběr

Choreographer

Michal Caban

Danced by

Baletní jednotka Křeč

Songs

Hrabě X

Song Composer Michael KocábMichal Pavlíček
Writer of Lyrics František Ringo Čech
Singer Pražský výběr

Můj koníček

Song Composer Michael KocábMichal Pavlíček
Writer of Lyrics František Ringo Čech
Singer Pražský výběr

Zubatá

Song Composer Michael KocábMichal Pavlíček
Writer of Lyrics František Ringo Čech
Singer Pražský výběr

Pražákům, těm je hej

Song Composer Michael KocábMichal Pavlíček
Writer of Lyrics František Ringo Čech
Singer Pražský výběr

Snaživec

Song Composer Michael Kocáb
Writer of Lyrics Michael Kocáb
Singer Pražský výběr

Tatrman

Song Composer Michael Kocáb
Writer of Lyrics Michael Kocáb

Veliké lalulá

Song Composer Michal Pavlíček
Writer of Lyrics Christian Morgenstern
Singer Bára Basiková

Košilela

Song Composer Michal Pavlíček
Writer of Lyrics Christian Morgenstern
Singer Bára Basiková

Člověk bez talentu

Song Composer Michal PavlíčekMichael Kocáb
Writer of Lyrics Vilém ČokMichael KocábMichal Pavlíček
Singer Pražský výběr

Na václavským Václaváku

Song Composer Vilém Čok
Writer of Lyrics Vilém Čok
Singer Vilém Čok

Smolař

Song Composer Michael KocábMichal Pavlíček
Writer of Lyrics Vilém Čok
Singer Pražský výběr

Proč jen já

Song Composer Michal PavlíčekMichael Kocáb
Writer of Lyrics J. Novotný
Singer Pražský výběr

Odysseus

Song Composer Michael Kocáb
Writer of Lyrics Michal Horáček
Singer Pražský výběr

Fine Girl

Song Composer Frank Zappa
Singer Frank Zappa

Vídeňský valčík

Song Composer Michael Kocáb

Tango Ropotámo

Song Composer Michael KocábMichal Pavlíček
Writer of Lyrics Michael KocábMichal Pavlíček
Singer Pražský výběr

S.O.S.

Song Composer Michal PavlíčekMichael Kocáb

Malovaný džbánku

Song Composer Jindřich Brabec
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Aplt
Singer ženský hlas

Production info

Original Title

Pražákům, těm je hej

Czech Title

Pražákům, těm je hej

English Title

Prague Selection

Working Title

Příběh jedné kapely

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

music

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1990

Production Year

1990

Premiere

premiere 1 April 1991 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

2. tvůrčí skupina, Josef Císař (vedoucí 2. tvůrčí skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

93 min

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Prémie Českého literárního fondu v oblasti filmové tvorby za rok 1989

1990
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Zdenek Patočka