On July 1, the Grand Hall of Hotel Thermal was filled with spectators who came to see Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World. The 2003 film was introduced by Russell Crowe, the leading actor and one of the star guests of the 57 th KVIFF. “The studios decided to present the film as an action film to attract more viewers to the cinemas. But it’s not really about action, it’s a cinematic poem. It tells the story of discipline and the hard life of sailors during a difficult time in history,” he described what Peter Weir‘s harsh historical
drama means to him.
Yesterday, Russell Crowe received the Crystal Globe for his outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema from the festival’s president Jiří Bartoška. Karlovy Vary was also an important stop for him because of music. With his band Indoor Garden Party, he played the final concert of Friday’s opening night, which was also the concluding concert of the band’s European tour.
Music was also one of the topics discussed at Saturday’s press conference: “Music is very important to me, it’s a deeply creative process that attracted me since childhood. Writing songs is a lot like creating a new character for a new role.” In conclusion, he emphasized that he was strongly impressed by the spa city hosting the festival. “I don’t know what I expected, but certainly not this fabulously beautiful city with its picturesque architecture. I tell everyone now that they must visit Karlovy Vary.”
