My Life to Live

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1963

Production year

1963

Runtime

13 min

Director

Evald Schorm

Category

film

Genre

art, biography

Typology

documentarytheatrical distributionshort

Original title

Žít svůj život

Czech title

Žít svůj život

English title

My Life to Live

Working title

Josef Sudek

Summary

Evald Schorm's melancholic documentary My Life to Live approaches the personality of Josef Sudek through his photographs and his own commentary on some of them. The camera observes the photographer in his studio environment, but also in the busy streets. It follows him into nature as he goes in search of more of his unique shots.

Synopsis

Photographer Josef Sudek is shown in his studio in Prague's Újezd district with his photographs. The artist talks about the circumstances of their creation and his relationship to them. During the film, busy places in Prague – lots of cars, trams, pedestrians – appear in short scenes. Sudek briefly flashes between them with his camera over his shoulder. Then he sets up a shot by a pond, his hand setting up his tripod and camera. In the studio he plays a gramophone record. With the camera on the tripod, he walks slowly through the sparse forest, looking for a shot.

Note

The short film was released as an opener to the Soviet drama The Ship Sails to the Harbour.

Film online

Commentary

Performed by

Josef Sudek

fotograf

Crew and creators

Director

Evald Schorm

Screenstory

Evald Schorm

Screenplay

Evald Schorm

Commentary by

Evald Schorm

Director of Photography

Jan Špáta

Film Editor

Josef Pejsar

Sound Designer

Miroslav Letenský

Production Manager

Zdeněk Novák, Zdeněk Polák

Music

Music Composed by

Jan Klusák

Music Performed by

FISYO

Locations

Praha

Production info

Original Title

Žít svůj život

Czech Title

Žít svůj život

English Title

My Life to Live

Working Title

Josef Sudek

Category

film

Typology

documentarytheatrical distribution

Genre

art, biography

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1963

Production Year

1963

Production specifications

projection approval 24 July 1963

Premiere

premiere 20 September 1963 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 25 October 1963 /suitable for youths/ (kino Paříž /1 týden/, Praha)

Distribution slogan

no caption

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Technical info

Duration typology

short film

Duration in minutes

13 min

Original length in metres

355 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, commentary

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Ceny Trilobit 1963

1964
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jan Špáta

Vítěz

Exhibition: 5. dny krátkého filmu Karlovy Vary

1964
Karlovy Vary / Czechoslovakia
Evald Schorm