The Benefit of Professor Alexander and Barbara de Anatolia

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1992

Production year

1992

Runtime

20 min

Category

film

Genre

tragicomedy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionstudent filmshort

Original title

Benefice Profesora Alexandera a Barbary de Anatolia

Czech title

Benefice Profesora Alexandera a Barbary de Anatolia

English title

The Benefit of Professor Alexander and Barbara de Anatolia

Summary

The poetical tragicomedy.

Synopsis

A taxi unloads two small figures in a winter landscape. The two very short and not too young people are circus artists – knife thrower Professor Alexander and his figurante who nicknames herself Barbara de Anatolia. They are heading to Gyergyó to perform there as arranged. They are, however, indeed poorly equipped for the long hike. The midget woman wears high heels and a thin, fake panther coat. Her red hat and lace gloves do not keep her warm either. She complains she cannot breathe. The two trudge through the forest in a chilly early evening. It takes Professor Alexander one throw to spear an apple on the woman’s head to the tree. Barbara tries to bite at the fruit flirtatiously but her denture gets stuck in it and it is, moreover, broken. She fortunately has a spare one. But that is the last moment of cheer. The woman’s condition worsens and she finally curls up into ball topped up by the hat on her drooping head. Alexander runs into a farm after a while and finds shelter for the night in a rabbit hutch, where he is found by the family – a farmer, his wife and two little daughters. They give him food. The next morning, the children discover Barbara, chilled to the marrow. Her body is so light that even the little girls can carry her to the farm. It is, however, too late for rescue. And the Professor, after performing his art to the landlords, falls asleep again and snores loudly.

Note

The film is often mistakenly listed as The Benefit of Professor Alexander and Barbara de Anatolia. The correct title was confirmed by director Gawlik. The short story, entitled Trip to Gyorgyó (Gyorgyó éghajlata), from the collection Eufrat near the Babylon was published in 1988 in the magazine Světová literatura, volume XXXIII.

Cast

Jiří Krytinář

vrhač nožů Profesor Alexander

Aťka Janoušková

Barbara de Anatolia

Jana Dolanská

statkářka

Václav Vydra

statkář

Petra Mendlová

dcera

Monika Papíková

dcera

Crew and creators

Based on

Ádám Bodor (Cesta do Gyergyó /Gyergyó éghajlata/ – povídka ze sbírky Eufrat u Babylonu /Az Eufrátesz Babilonnál/)

Screenplay

Zdeněk Gawlik

Dramaturg

Josef Viewegh

Director of Photography

Vladimír Omasta

Second Unit Photography

Miloš Kabyl

Make-Up Artist

Alena Marečková

Sound Designer

Daniel Němec

Production Manager

Jana Mašíková

Pedagogical management

Jaromil Jireš (režie), Karel Smyczek, Jaromír Šofr (kamera), Eva Bobková (střih)

Cooperation

Martina Bauerová, Janez Burger, Marcel Bystroň, Martin Douba, Patrik Fischer, Květoslava Gawliková, Michaela Hirschová, Kateřina Hubálková, Stanislav Kázecký, František Kölbel, Pavel Marek, Sanjin Mirić, Alena Nosková, Jan Pecha, Jaromír Polišenský, Pavel Rejholec, Radek Rondevald, Jana Szücsová, Roman Vávra, Pavlína Volrábová

Music

Music Composed by

Jan Kocar, Bohumil Kocar

Selected Music

Bedřich Smetana (opera Prodaná nevěsta), Charles Louis Ambroise Thomas (opera Mignon)

Songs

Milostné zvířátko uděláme z vás /Prodaná nevěsta/

Song Composer Bedřich Smetana
Writer of Lyrics Karel Sabina
Singer Aťka Janoušková

Znáš ten kraj čárných vnad /Mignon/

Song Composer Charles Louis Ambroise Thomas
Writer of Lyrics Josef Vymětal
Singer Aťka Janoušková

Production info

Original Title

Benefice Profesora Alexandera a Barbary de Anatolia

Czech Title

Benefice Profesora Alexandera a Barbary de Anatolia

English Title

The Benefit of Professor Alexander and Barbara de Anatolia

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionstudent film

Genre

tragicomedy

Student film

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1992

Production Year

1992

Production

Studio FAMU

Copyright Holders

Studio FAMU

Distribution

Studio FAMU

Technical info

Duration typology

short film

Duration in minutes

20 min

Original length in metres

555 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

Awards

Vítěz

Festival: 3. festival FAMU Praha

1993
Praha / Czech Republic
Zdeněk Gawlik

Vítěz

Festival: 3. festival FAMU Praha

1993
Praha / Czech Republic
Zdeněk Gawlik

Vítěz

Festival: 19. Mladá kamera Uničov

1993
Uničov / Czech Republic