Vojtěch Jasný

VOJTĚCH JASNÝ (30 November 1925, Kelč u Valašského Meziříčí – 15 November 2019, Přerov) was born into a family of a teacher. His father died in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Right after the war, Jasný began studying philosophy and Russian language at Charles University. In 1946, he was admitted to the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU), Department of Film Photography (Cinematography) where he was taught by Karel Plicka. He finished the school in 1951 with his graduate film It is Not Always Cloudy (Není stale zamračeno, 1950). Already during his studies, he began collaborating with Karel Kachyňa, who later became his co-worker at Czechoslovak Army Film. Together, they filmed socialism-building documentaries; for instance, the trip of the Army Art Ensemble to China provided enough material to create several documentaries about China. As for live-action films, Jasný’s debut was an adaptation of Pavel Kohout’s theatre play September Nights (Zářijové noci, 1956). Jasný’s most popular and successful films are the anthology film Desire (Touha, 1958), fairy-tale allegory The Cassandra Cat (Až přijde kocour, 1963) (Special Jury Prize, Best Film for Children, CST Prize at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival) and poetic historical fresco All My Good Countrymen (Všichni dobří rodáci, 1968) (Ex Aquo Award for Best Director, CST Award at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival, Czechoslovak Film Critics’ Award), which ranked third in a 1999 expert survey held to commemorate 100 years of Czechoslovak film (behind Markéta Lazarová (1967) and The Shop on Main Street (Obchod na Korze, 1965). In 1970, Jasný went into exile for political reasons. He lived briefly in Yugoslavia, later relocated to Austria, and in 1984 settled in New York, USA. In all the above-mentioned countries, as well as in Croatia, Germany, Finland, France, Norway, Israel and Canada, Jasný worked as a screenwriter, film, television and theatre director and pedagogue. In the United States, he lectured for instance at Columbia University (at the School of Visual Arts). He made many live-action and documentary films, mainly for television, often adaptations of books and stage plays. During his European exile he formed an important friendship with Heinrich Böll. In 1976, Jasný became the co-founder of the joint-stock company Filmstudio Salzburg which, however, ceased its operation two years later because of financial losses. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Jasný often returned to his homeland and, in 2011, he permanently re-settled in the Czech Republic. At first, he lived in a town called Bystré and from 2015 to his death, he lived in Přerov. His first wife Miroslava Jasná, née Faltysová (1927–1959), led practical group seminars at FAMU. Together with Zdeněk Forman and Karel Kachyňa, Vojtěch Jasný published a photography book titled Building Borderlands (Budujeme pohraničí, Orbis, Prague 1950). With Jaroslav Čech and Karel Kachyňa, he published a book titled We Were in the Land of Flowers (Byli jsme v zemi květů, Naše vojsko, Prague 1954). In 2010, he published his photography work in a catalogue titled Vojtěch Jasný: Photographs (Kant, Prague 2010). He summarized his personal and professional experiences in his book Life and Film (Život a film, Národní filmový archiv, Prague,1999). We also want to point out a study titled Vojtěch Jasný’s Work in Exile published in Film a doba no. 1/99, transcript of a shelved script for a film titled Kominíček and korouhvičky (Chimneysweep and Pennons) in magazine Iluminace no. 1/2033, memories titled Ikarské lety (The Icarus Flights) in Iluminace no. 2/2008 and Divadelní noviny no. 1-6/2012 (six parts) and Jiří Voráč’s extensive monography Vojtěch Jasný (Host, Brno 2020). His work was examined in a Spanish feature documentary titled Life and Film: The Labyrinthine Biographies of Vojtěch Jasný (Vida y cine – Las laberínticas biografías de Vojtech Jasny; dir. Arkaitz Basterra, 2009). Jasný was one of the most important Czech filmmakers. His work is characterised by a distinctive poetic character, an emphasis on artistic style, and a clear humanistic aspect. – Filmography: (if not stated otherwise, Jasný was the director). In Czechoslovakia: short socialism building documentary They Know What to Do (Věděli si rady, directed, written, photographed and edited together with Karel Kachyňa); feature live-action documentary set in the border area It is not Always Cloudy (Není stale zamračeno, written together with Karel Kachyňa and František Daniel, directed, photographed and edited together with Karel Kachyňa); feature documentary For a Joyful Life (Za život radostný, 1950, written together with Karel Kachyňa and Jindřich Vodička, directed together with Karel Kachyňa, National Award); feature documentary Extraordinary Years (Neobyčejná léta, 1952, written, narrated, and directed together with Karel Kachyňa); feature documentary Victorious March (Vítězný pochod, 1952, dir. Ivan Frič, DoP Jasný with Frič); short documentary Science Goes with the People (Věda jde s lidem, 1952, dir. Pavel Háša, DoP Jasný and Háša); feature documentary People of a Single Heart (Lidé jednoho srdce, 1953, written and directed together with Karel Kachyňa, Chu Bai-Jin, Dong Xiao-Wu, DoP Karel Kachyňa, Cao Tin-Jun, Tian Li); short documentary Guard (Na stráži, directed together with Karel Kachyňa); short documentary Old Chinese Opera (Stará čínská opera, 1953, written and directed together with Karel Kachyňa, DoP Karel Kachyňa, Tian Li, Cao Tin-Jun); short documentary From a Chinese Diary (Z čínského zápisníku, 1954, written and directed together with Karel Kachyňa, Chu Bai-Jin, DoP Karel Kachyňa, Tian Li); spy story This Will All be Over Tonight (Dnes večer všechno skončí, 1954, directed together with Karel Kachyňa); short documentary No Worries (Bez obav, 1955, + story and script); short film Opportunity (Příležitost, 1955 + script); feature documentary Greetings from a Big Country (Pozdrav veliké země, 1955 dir. Ján Lacko, Zhai Chao; commentary); feature drama September Nights (Zářijové noci, 1956, + script), The Hesitant Marksman (Váhavý střelec, 1956, dir. Ivo Toman, Jasný wrote the story together with Toman); anthology film Desire (Touha, 1958, + story, script); drama from a concentration camp I Survived My Own Death (Přežil jsem svou smrt, 1960); famous satirical comedy The Pilgrimage to the Holy Virgin (Procesí k panence, 1961); fairy-tale allegory The Cassandra Cat (Až přijde kocour, 1963, + story, script); comedy with Jan Werich Healing Magnetic Waves (Magnetické vlny léčí, TV-1965); co-production anthology film with Austria based on the book Pipes by Ilja Erenburg (Dýmky, 1966. + script); historical elegy All My Good Countrymen (Všichni dobří rodáci, 1968, + story and script); short poetic film for the world exhibition in Osaka Bohemian Rhapsody (Česká rapsodie, 1969, + script); anthology film Dogs and People (Psi a lidé, 1971, dir. Evald Schorm, story and script together with Jasný); autobiographical poetic film Which Side Eden (Návrat ztraceného ráje, 1999, + story and script). Work abroad: adaptation of Heinrich Böll’s story Nicht nur zur Weihnachtszeit (Germany, TV, 1969, Not only on Christmas); comedy Nasrin oder die Kunst zu träumen (Germany, TVm 1971, Nasrin and the Art of Dreaming); psychological study of a person at the point of no return based on the story of Ladislav Mňačko Der Leuchtturm (Germany, Austria, TV, 1972, The Ligthouse, + script); feature parapsychological film Die Traumtänzer (Germany, TV, 1972, Dreamers, + story and script); film based on Tom Stoppard’s play Separatfrieden (Germany, TV, 1973, A Separate Peace), Der Kulturer (Germany, Austria, TV, 1973, The Culturer); adaptation of Turgenev’s novel Frühlingsfluten (Germany, TV, 1973, Torrents of Spring, + script); adaptation of Ludvík Aškenazy’s story Des Pudels Kern (Germany, TV, 1974, The Poodle’s Core, + script); study of a schizophrenic Leben des schizophrene Dicters Alexander März (Germany, TV, 1974, The Life of Schizophrenic Poet Alexander März, Prix d’Italia Award); very personal experimental mid-length film Bäume, Vögel, Mencshen (Germany, TV, 1975, Trees, Birds, People, + story, script, DoP); popular adaptation of Heinrich Böll’s novel Ansichten eines Clowns (Germany, 1975, The Clown, + script); story of a thirteen-year-old Yugoslavian guest worker in Vienna Fluchtversuch (Germany/Austria, 1976, The Escape Attempt, + script); mid-length artistic documentary Ernst Fuchs – Rätsel der Sphinx (Austria/Germany, TV, 1976, Ernst Fuchs – The Mystery of the Sphinx, + story and script); Fairy (Germany, TV, 1977); Die Freiheiten der Langweile (Germany, TV, 1977, The Freedom of Boredom), “a human comedy on the doorstep of death” consisting of two mid-length stories Rückkehr (Austria, 1977, The Return, + story and script) Die Stühle ades Herrn Szmil (Germany, 1978, Mr. Szmil’s Chair); mid-length artistic documentary Impressionen über Herbert von Karajan (Austria, TV, 1978, Impressions of Herbert von Karajan, + script), Die Nacht, in der der Cher geschlachtet wurde (Germany, TV, 1979, The Night the Boss was Killed); adaptation of Ivan Bukovčan’s theatre play Ehe der Hahn kräht (Germany, TV, 1979, Before the Rooster Crows), made also by Martin Ťapák as Kohút nezaspieva (1986); adaptation of Pavel and Jelena Kohout fantasy novel Die Einfälle der heilingen Klara (Germany, Austria, TV, 1980, Ideas of Saint Clara, distributed also in Yugoslavia), later adapted in Israel by Ori Sivan and Ari Folman as Saint Clara (1995), adaptation of Ivo Andrič’s novel Das Fräulein/Gospodjica (Germany, Yugoslavia, TV, 1980, Maiden, + script), adaptation of Yevgeniy Zamyatin’s novel Wir (Germany, TV, 1981, We), Es gibt noch Haselnusstrücher (Germany, TV, 1982, Are there still hazelnuts); artistic documentary Mein Freund Heinrich Böll (Germany, TV, 1982, My friend Heinrich Böll, + script); thirteen-episode-series Der blinde Richter (Germany, TV. 1983, The Blind Judge); adaptation of Nikolaj Erdman’s play Eläköon itsemurhaaja/ Der Selbstmörder (Finland, Germany, 1984, Suicide, + script); family fairy-tale The Great Land of Small (Canada/France, 1987, TV, + story and script); mid-length documentary Miloš Forman – Portrait (USA, 1989, + script); artistic documentary Proč Havel? (Canada/Czechoslovakia, TV, 1991, Why Havel? + story and script); time lapse film essay about a “spiritual adventure” Gladys (Canada, 1999, + story, script, DoP, TV version 55 minutes / distribution version – 102 minutes). -tbk-