Film Archive

The Magic Voice of a Rebel

Documentary Films - Out of Competition 2014 / Magický hlas rebelky / Czech Republic 2014

After her portrait of Věra Čáslavská, leading Czech documentarist Olga Sommerová decided to make a film about another exceptional woman whose eventful life was determined to a considerable extent by the tyranny of communist power – three-time winner of the Golden Nightingale music award, Charter 77 spokesperson, and holder of the Légion d’honneur, Marta Kubišová.

Synopsis

After her portrait of Věra Čáslavská, the most successful Czechoslovak sportswoman of all time, leading Czech documentarist Olga Sommerová decided to make a film about Marta Kubišová, another exceptional woman whose eventful life was determined to a considerable extent by the tyranny of communist power. The stellar career of this talented singer and three-time winner of the Golden Nightingale music award ended in 1968 with the occupation of Czechoslovakia. In 1977 Kubišová signed Charter 77 and also became its spokesperson, making her a target of the secret police. After twenty years’ enforced silence, however, she was able to stage a spectacular comeback during the Velvet Revolution. Olga Sommerová maps out key episodes from the private, professional and dissident chapters of Marta Kubišová’s life through archive footage and interviews with friends, such as Dana Němcová, Pavel Kohout and Jaroslav Hutka. The film also features a brand new song performed with Aneta Langerová.

About the film

85 min / Color, DCP
World premiere
Director Olga Sommerová / Screenplay Olga Sommerová / Dir. of Photography Olga Špátová / Music Aleš Březina / Editor Jakub Voves / Producer Pavel Berčík / Production Evolution Films s.r.o. / Coproduction Česká televize / Czech Television, Dadja Altenburg-Kohl, Bageterie Boulevard, Nadace Crocodille / Cast Marta Kubišová / Contact Evolution Films, A-Company Czech s.r.o. / Distributor A-Company Czech s.r.o.

About the director

Olga Sommerová (b. 1949, Prague) studied documentary film at FAMU, graduating in 1977. Her films focus on social themes and human relationships, the lives of ordinary people and important figures, feminism, and the political history of the Czech(oslovak) Republic. She taught at FAMU in 1991-2002, from 1994 heading the documentary film department. In 2005-10 she was associate professor at the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. On the strength of the successful film What Women Dream About (O čem sní ženy, 1999) she brought out three volumes of interviews bearing the same title and another book What Men Dream About (O čem sní muži). She has made around one hundred films, which brought her 35 awards at Czech and foreign film festivals. She leads an active public life, chiefly campaigning for a better position for women in society. Two years ago KVIFF screened her documentary Věra 68 (2012).