Reflection

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1965

Production year

1965

Premiere

1 April 1966

Runtime

32 min

Director

Evald Schorm

Category

film

Genre

political, essay

Typology

documentarytheatrical distributionmedium

Original title

Zrcadlení

Czech title

Zrcadlení

English title

Reflection

Working title

Život

Summary

The award-winning documentary by Evald Schorm and Jan Špáta, Reflection, is an artistic statement about life and death. The raw footage from the hospital and the reflections of patients, doctors and nurses provoke reflection on the meaning of life and its values. The mood of the film is underscored by Jan Klusák's music, excerpts from classical symphonic music and especially shots of the autumn nature (seagulls appear over the water in the prologue and epilogue). The filming took place in the Bulovka hospital and in the psychiatric hospital in Bohnice in Prague. The title is taken from the quoted poem of the same name by Vladimír Holan.

Synopsis

Nurses take care of old and young patients who talk about life and its most precious gift: health. The old patients are aware of the approaching end, but for the young the encounter with illness is an unexpected experience. The sick very often receive visits. For the doctors and nurses, the hospital is the place where they work, while for the patients it is a foreign and feared environment. The doctors reflect not only on the illnesses but also on their context ("The greatest pest of modern life is... too much fear; it kills people, hurts them and is, in short, cruel"). Other patients are alcoholics from the Bohnice hospital. Doctors give first aid to a girl who attempted suicide. She then talks about her feelings.

Note

The film was released in April 1966 as an opener to the psychological film Searching (1965; directed by Jan Čuřík, Antonín Máša). It returned to cinemas in a renewed premiere in February 2008, as part of Remembering in Reflection (2007; directed by Ivan Vojnár).

Film online

Commentary

Jan Kačer

recitace veršů z básně Zrcadlení

Crew and creators

Director

Evald Schorm

Commentary by

Vladimír Holan (verše z básně Zrcadlení)

Director of Photography

Jan Špáta

Sound Designer

Antonín Kleisner

Production Manager

Máša Charouzdová

Consultant

MUDr. Miroslav Dittrich, MUDr. Milan Morávek

Music

Music Composed by

Jan Klusák

Music Performed by

FISYO

Production info

Original Title

Zrcadlení

Czech Title

Zrcadlení

English Title

Reflection

Working Title

Život

Category

film

Typology

documentarytheatrical distribution

Genre

political, essay

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1965

Production Year

1965

Production specifications

projection approval 15 July 1965
the end of the distribution monopoly 21 February 2013

Premiere

premiere 1 April 1966 /unsuitable for youths/ (kina Praha /3 týdny/ a Paříž /2 týdny/, Praha)
premiere 1 April 1966 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)
renewed premiere 1990 /suitable for youths/
renewed premiere 21 February 2008 /suitable for all ages/ (kino Světozor, Praha)

Distribution slogan

no caption (1966) / no caption (1990) / Film of Evald Schorm about sickness, fear and hope. (2008)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Distribution

Ústřední půjčovna filmů (původní 1966 a obnovená 1990), Asociace českých filmových klubů – AČFK (obnovená 2008)

Technical info

Duration typology

medium length film

Duration in minutes

32 min

Original length in metres

908 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Exhibition: 4. setkání krátkého filmu s pražskými pracujícími

1966
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Event: Ceny Trilobit 1965

1966
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Evald Schorm

Vítěz

Exhibition: 4. setkání krátkého filmu s pražskými pracujícími

1966
Praha / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 6. mezinárodní festival krátkých filmů Krakov

1966
Krakov / Poland

Vítěz

Exhibition: 1. přehlídka vědeckých a populárně vědeckých filmů Olomouc

1966
Olomouc / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 16. mezinárodní festival dokumentárního filmu Benátky

1965
Benátky / Italy

Vítěz

Exhibition: 6. dny krátkého filmu Karlovy Vary

1965
Karlovy Vary / Czechoslovakia