The Ill-fated Child

Country

Czech Republic

Copyright

2003

Production year

2002

Premiere

1 May 2005

Runtime

38 min

Category

film

Genre

documentary

Typology

documentarytheatrical distributionstudent filmmedium

Original title

Zlopověstné dítě

Czech title

Zlopověstné dítě

English title

The Ill-fated Child

Summary

The story of a 20-year-old carpenter named Michal who has been travelling around for a few years and documenting the former death camps throughout Europe. Michal doesn't have any Jewish ancestors; his family wasn't affected by the war. He's employed in a branch of Siemens in Plzeň where he does stereotypical work every day. He has taught himself German, Polish, Belarus, English and partially Yiddish. He takes information in Polish and German from the former concentration camps and translates it. He has written 8 novels (each over 150 pages) set in death camps. Each novel is based on a specific historic event. The novels were never published, they have only been appreciated on a regional level. He writes under the pseudonym Michael Wäckerle (Wäckerle was the first ever leader of a concentration camp in Dachau as early as 1933). What drives a young person to have such an interest in the holocaust that he dedicates all his time to it? The film is a portrait of an exceptional young man, it probes his motivation and deals with questions of collective guilt. – Department of documentary film, FAMU – 2nd year.

Commentary

Eduard Linkers

texty z románů Michala Wäckerleho

Lucie Králová

texty z knihy Gastona Bachelarda Voda a sny

Performed by

Michal Chocholatý

Karel Chocholatý

Jiří Strnad

pan Wilenberg

hlas v telefonu

Crew and creators

Music

Music Composed by

Auvid – Vodonia

Selected Music

Ennio Morricone, Robert Fripp

Songs

Hymna vyhlazovacího tábora Treblinka

Singer Dětský sbor Quodlibet

Production info

Original Title

Zlopověstné dítě

Czech Title

Zlopověstné dítě

English Title

The Ill-fated Child

Category

film

Typology

documentarytheatrical distributionstudent film

Genre

documentary

Student film

2. ročníkDepartment of Documentary Filmportrait

Origin country

Czech Republic

Copyright

2003

Production Year

2002

Production specifications

the end of the distribution monopoly 1 May 2008

Premiere

premiere 1 May 2005 /recommended for 15 and over/

Distribution slogan

Documentary portrait of the author of the novel “Predator in the Holocaust”. New Czech film. Portrait of the author of the book “Predator in the Holocaust”. Best Czech film IDFF Jihlava 2003.

Technical info

Duration typology

medium length film

Duration in minutes

38 min

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66

Colour

colour, black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech, Polish

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Intertitles languages

Czech

Opening/End credits languages

Czech