Documentary Films - Out of Competition 2013 / Otázky pana Lásky / Czech Republic 2013
Blessed with a surprising number of humorous situations, Dagmar Smržová’s documentary is a touching and, above all, highly inspiring portrait of an energetic and ever-optimistic 30-year-old schizophrenic named Jiří Láska who is far from the usual apathetic patient of the psych ward.
At the beginning of the film, 30-year-old schizophrenic Jiří Láska asks his grandmother, "My soul is sick, Grandma, what should I do?” The two of them share a small house in the village of Batňovice near Trutnov because both Jiří’s parents are schizophrenics, and his grandmother serves as his caretaker, advisor, and the main star of the news reports he regularly uploads on his website. The energetic central character, however, doesn’t confine himself to home videos; he’s also an enthusiastic ham radio operator, cyclist, and an original observer of his innermost feelings – as well as of his neighbors’ warped relationships. His disarming directness, objectivity, and one-of-a-kind sense of humor allow him to reflect upon the course of his illness with enviable optimism while he goes about helping those closest to him. Dagmar Smržová’s documentary is a touching and inspiring portrait of a young man who is far from the usual apathetic patient of the psych ward.
77 min / Color, DCP
International premiere
Director Dagmar Smržová
/ Screenplay Dagmar Smržová
/ Dir. of Photography Petr Koblovský, Miroslav Janek
/ Music Stefan Kostadinov Valdobrev, Petr Fiala
/ Editor Krasimira Velitchkova
/ Producer Jiří Konečný
/ Production endorfilm
/ Contact endorfilm, CinemArt, a.s.
/ Distributor CinemArt, a.s.
Dagmar Smržová (b. 1966, Prague) graduated in documentary filmmaking from Prague’s Film Academy (FAMU) in 1992. Her graduation film Time for Someone, relating the story of a young person’s struggle with a serious illness, sparked initial interest in the director. Her key topics are reflected in documentaries presented on Czech Television: for the series "Eye – A Look at Today’s World” (produced by Febio) she created a brutal report about minors who kill their parents. For the "Up Close” series (produced by Czech TV) she shot an hour-long portrait of a male prison choir. For the "Ego” series (produced by MGB) she directed a portrait of a young Romany couple who grew up in an orphanage. Other films for Czech TV include two documentaries: War in the Memory of Women (2004) and The Hardest of Choices (2010). Her feature-length doc Saving Edwards, produced by HBO Europe, appeared in the fall of 2010.
endorfilm
Přímětická 4, 140 00, Praha 4
Czech Republic
Phone: +420 241 730 780
E-mail: [email protected]
CinemArt, a.s.
Národní 60/28, 111 21, Praha 1
Czech Republic
Phone: +420 224 949 110
E-mail: [email protected]
Jiří Konečný
Producer
First-hand brews throughout the year.
Be among the first to learn about upcoming events and other news. We only send the newsletter when we have something to say.
