Film Archive

RapStory

Special Screenings 2021 / RapStory / Czech Republic 2021

Using never-before-seen archival footage, Czech Television’s online documentary series RapStory traces thirty years of rap music in the Czech Republic, exploring important events in the history of this music that aims directly for the heart. All of it told exclusively by the people who were there and who managed to build up a subculture that tells us about today’s society more than any other.

Synopsis

Rap. A captivating rhythm and a direct message. Humor or aggression; a reflection of egoism in a highly egoistic era. An infectious virus. This ain’t no kiddie show, it’s a revolutionary culture that did not fully arrive in our country until the Velvet Revolution. Initially ridiculed, Czech rap has become a new form of popular music despite the fact that it was long ignored by radio and television. In their ten-episode online series, director Šimon Šafránek and editor Šimon Hájek (King Skate, Meky) present gripping stories of rappers, ranging from pioneering figures such as Michael Viktořík and Orion all the way to contemporary phenomena such as Yzomandias and Viktor Sheen. In rap, they all found freedom in the face of social expectations and conventions. Suitable for viewers aged 15 years and over.

About the film

50 min / Color, DCP
World premiere
Director Šimon Šafránek / Screenplay Šimon Šafránek, Karel Veselý / Dir. of Photography Zbyněk Kunc / Editor Šimon Hájek / Producer Alžběta Janáčková, Martina Štrunc / Production Silk Films / Coproduction Česká televize / Sales Czech Television - Telexport / Contact Silk Films s.r.o.

About the director

Šimon Šafránek (1977, Czechoslovakia). Selected filmography: The Myth (2003), Land of Cover Bands (2016), King Skate (2018), Meky (2020), RapStory (2021).