Events

September 03, 2012, 10:00 AM

Miloš Forman has directed over a dozen award-winning films, winning best director twice for such films as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus. View a complete series of film posters, presenting a glimpse inside his Czech and American films, at the Embassy of the Czech Republic on September 3, 2012.

September 04, 2012, 12:00 PM

The Library of Congress will launch the Docs in Salute film series in the Pickford Theater on September 4, at 12 noon. The series focuses on interesting personalities touched by Jewish themes and pays tribute to Miloš Forman’s parents who died in concentration camps. Docs in Salute kicks off with a screening of excerpts from the film Miloš Forman: What Doesn’t Kill You… (Miloš Forman: Co tě nezabije... ) and an introduction on the life of the acclaimed director by Czech Cultural Attaché Robert Řehák. (DIR. Miloslav Šmídmajer, 2012, 37 min., excerpts, in Czech with English subtitles)
 

September 05, 2012, 6:00 PM

The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage will present Washington Musica Viva performing a concert of lively music by Czech jazz composer Jaroslav Ježek, arranged for a 6-member band by contemporary composer Charley Gerard, on September 5, at 6 pm. Czech jazz composer, pianist and conductor Jaroslav Ježek worked as the main composer for comedic playwrights and filmmakers Jan Werich and Jiří Voskovec (V+W), leaders of the Prague Liberated Theater. Ježek was fascinated by American jazz legend Duke Ellington.

September 08, 2012, 6:00 PM

Renowned Czech artist Bořek Šípek will open his first U.S. solo exhibition Bořek Šípek: Baroque Soiree, featuring exquisite glass designs at Industry Gallery in Washington, DC, on September 8, from 6-9 pm. The exhibition will include the premiere of his new 2012 Vase Collection and a dazzling new chandelier, crafted entirely from lead-free Bohemian glass, in the neo-Baroque style for which he has become world-famous. Director Miloš Forman is a friend of Šípek and avid collector of his impressive glass pieces. As Forman’s Oscar-winning film Amadeus utilized the historic dressings of Mozart’s era to clothe and distinguish a regal space, so does Šípek incorporate opulent designs to transform a stark space into a majestic realm.

September 12, 2012, 8:00 PM

The Avalon Theater will feature director Bohdan Sláma’s Four Suns (Čtyři slunce) as part of its contemporary film series Lions of Czech Film on September 12, at 8 pm. In the film, Jára finds himself in a downwards spiral. He sees his teenage son repeating his own mistakes, while his wife’s patience wears thin. The film was selected to compete in the Sundance Film Festival. (DIR. Bohdan Sláma, 2012, 93 min., Czech with English subtitles)

September 13, 2012, 6:30 PM

On September 13, at 6:30 pm, the Embassy of the Czech Republic will launch its Film Club series with special guests Jana Svehlova and historian Tomáš Bouška in the program Timeless Stories - The Story of a Political Prisoner. Cultural Counselor Barbara Karpetová will open the event and reveal the "timeless stories" told through Miloš Forman's films such as Goya's Ghosts, followed by Jana Švehlová who will give context to the situation of the 1950s in Czechoslovakia. Bouška will then screen the film K. Ch. – The Documentary Portrait of a Female Political Prisoner. As Forman has examined the lives of individuals oppressed by regimes in films such as Goya’s Ghosts, Bouska’s documentary takes viewers inside the life of Karla Charvatova (K.Ch.) who was a political prisoner in Czechoslovakia in 1948 and presents her real life journey. A discussion with the special guests will follow the screening. (DIR. Tomas Bouska, 2011, 42 min., Czech with English subtitles)
Photo courtesy of The Saul Zaentz Company

September 15, 2012, 2:00 PM

The National Gallery of Art will feature director Gustav Machatý's Erotikon, one of best representative works of Czech silent cinema on September 15, at 2 pm, in the National Gallery's East Building Auditorium. The film follows a tale of seduction of a rural station manager’s daughter by a handsome lothario. Witness this remarkable film with piano accompaniment by Ben Model and opening remarks from Andrea Rousová, curator of the National Gallery in Prague. (DIR. Gustav Machatý, 1929, 85 min., Silent)

September 18, 2012, 6:00 PM

Bistro Bohem will screen the classic film Cutting It Short (Postřižiny) by Czech New Wave and Oscar-winning director Jiří Menzel on September 18, at 6 pm. The film is based on the writing of Bohumil Hrabal and his childhood in Nymburk’s brewery in the 1920s. Enjoy the humorous tale and savor a nice Pilsner brew at this local Czech restaurant while watching the classic flick. (1981, 93 min., in Czech with English subtitles) 

September 19, 2012, 12:00 PM

The Library of Congress will present the documentary In the Shadow of Memory by director Jacky Comforty in the Pickford Theater on September 19, at 12 noon. In 1942, Nazis destroyed the innocent Czech village of Lidice, killing all the men of the town and sending the women and children to concentration camps to avenge the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, a mastermind of Nazi genocide. Producer Jerri Zbiral explores the ongoing effects, the legacy of tragedy, and its relevance to today as she follows her mother and others who survived back to the site of the massacre. A Q&A with producer Jerri Zbiral follows the screening. (DIR. Jacky Comforty, 2007, 52 min., Czech and English with English subtitles)
Photo courtesy of Jerri Zbiral

September 22, 2012, 4:00 PM

The National Gallery of Art will explore the legendary filmmakers of the Czech New Wave with Director of the National Film Archive in Prague, Michal Bregant, on September 22 at 4 pm in the Gallery's East Building Auditorium. The Czech New Wave was an artistic movement of the 1960s, hailed as the “golden era” in Czechoslovakia's cinematic history, boasting some of the most attractive films produced in Europe.
Photo courtesy of the National Film Archive (NFA) in Prague
 

September 23, 2012, 11:00 AM

AFI SHOWCASE: The People vs. Larry Flynt
On September 23, at 11 am, the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center will screen the Oscar-nominated film The People vs. Larry Flynt. The film follows the life of pornographic magazine publisher and editor Larry Flynt (Woody Harrelson) and his subsequent clash with the law. The film spans Flynt's life, from his impoversihed upbringing in Kentucky to his court battle with Reverend Jerry Falwell, centering on freedom of expression. (DIR. Miloš Forman, 1996, 129 min., English)
Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures

September 23, 2012, 4:30 PM

MASTERS OF CINEMA: Czech/US Inspirations
The National Gallery of Art will screen Miloš Forman's first feature-length film Audition (Konkurs) as well as his American debut film Taking Off on September 23, 2012 at 4:30 pm. Director of the National Film Archive in Prague, Michal Bregant, will introduce the films, discussing Forman's cinematic style. (DIR. Miloš Forman, Konkurs, 1963, 47 min., Czech with English subtitles) | (DIR. Miloš Forman, Taking Off, 1971, 93 minutes, English)
Photo courtesy of the National Film Archive (NFA) in Prague

September 23, 2012, 7:00 PM

AFI SHOWCASE: Daisies (Sedmikrásky)
The AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center will feature Daisies (Sedmikrásky) by director Věra Chytilová, the Czech New Wave’s sole female director on September 23 at 7 pm. The film follows two young bored women who have anarchic fun in a series of loosely connected episodes. The visually stunning film challenges gender-identity politics. Following the political upheaval in 1968, Chytilová was banned from making films until 1975. (DIR. Věra Chytilová, 1966, 74 min., Czech with English subtitles)
Photo courtesy of Janus Films.

September 24, 2012, 8:10 PM

 The AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center will feature Daisies (Sedmikrásky) by director Věra Chytilová, the Czech New Wave’s sole female director, on September 24 at 8:10 pm. The film follows two young bored women who have anarchic fun in a series of loosely connected episodes. The visually stunning film challenges gender-identity politics. Following the political upheaval in 1968, Chytilová was banned from making films until 1975. (DIR. Věra Chytilová, 1966, 74 min., Czech with English subtitles)

September 26, 2012, 12:10 PM

The National Gallery of Art will present a lecture-recital on Czech Art in the 1950s and 60s, the period which influenced Miloš Forman, with Andrea Rousová, curator from the National Gallery in Prague, and solo violinist Barbora Kolářová at the Gallery's West Building Lecture Hall on September 26, at 12:10 pm. The program includes a performance of Alois Hába’s Suite for Solo Violin in six tone system and Klement Slavický’s Partita for Solo Violin. Admission is free.
Photo courtesy of Barbora Kolářová

September 27, 2012, 6:30 PM

The Embassy of the Czech Republic will screen Making of Amadeus on September 27, at 6:30 pm. This riveting film takes a look behind the scenes at the trials and tribulations of shooting the Oscar-winning film Amadeus. At the center of the creative force is film genius Miloš Forman. After 20 years in exile, Forman returns to his homeland to film his masterpiece. With sets crawling with undercover police, Forman discovers that he must put his personal emotions aside in order for the film to succeed. A Q&A follows the screening with Cultural Counselor Barbara Karpetová. (DIR. Bill Jersey, 2002, 60 min., Czech and English with English subtitles)
Photo courtesy of Jaromír Komárek   

September 29, 2012, 1:00 PM

The National Gallery of Art will explore Forman's Czech works in a special afternoon showcasing The Firemen's Ball (Hoří, má panenko) on September 29 at 1 pm, followed by Black Peter (Černý Petr) at 3 pm, and Loves of a Blonde (Lásky jedné plavovlásky), at 4:45 pm at the Gallery's East Building Auditorium. Before coming to the United States, Miloš Forman received international acclaim as one of the leaders of the Czech New Wave, a movement that featured some of the most attractive films produced in Europe at that time.
Photo courtesy of the National Film Archive (NFA) in Prague

September 30, 2012, 11:00 AM

AFI SHOWCASE: Man on the Moon
On September 30, at 11 am, the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center will screen Man on the Moon, a biographical film of eccentric comedian Andy Kaufman (Jim Carrey). The film traces Kaufman's steps from childhood to comedy clubs and television appearances, including his time on Saturday Night Live, among others. (DIR. Miloš Forman, 1999, 118 min., English)

September 30, 2012, 4:00 PM

MASTERS OF CINEMA: Amadeus
Amadeus is heralded as one of director Miloš Forman's most triumphant films, garnering eight Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. Enjoy an afternoon at the National Gallery of Art celebrating this world-class masterpiece with the screening of Amadeus on September 30 at 4 pm, in the East Building Auditorium.
Photo courtesy of The Saul Zaentz Company

September 30, 2012, 6:30 PM

Concert: Mozart and Salieri and Mozart's Requiem
Pre-concert lecture:  Mozart in Prague

The National Gallery of Art will present members of the Catholic University of America's Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir, under the direction of conductor Murry Sidlin, in Rimsky-Korsakov's one act opera Mozart and Salieri and Mozart's Requiem on September 30 at 6:30 pm, in the Gallery’s West Building, West Garden Court. Please note, the pre-concert lecture Mozart in Prague by Stephen Ackert, head of the Gallery's music department begins at 6 pm.
Photo courtesy of Jaromír Komárek

October 04, 2012, 6:30 PM

The Embassy of the Czech Republic welcomes renowned Czech film historian and author Pavel Jiras on October 4, at 6:30 pm. He will open the photo exhibition František Vláčil’s Studio and lecture on the paths taken by František Vláčil and Miloš Forman to becoming masters of cinematography. The event will include a documentary about Vláčil’s life and work.
Photo courtesy of the National Film Archive (NFA) in Prague

October 07, 2012, 11:00 AM

AFI SHOWCASE: Valmont
On October 7, at 11 am, the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center will screen Valmont. Set in Baroque France, a scheming widow (Annette Bening) and her lover Valmont (Colin Firth) make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married young woman. Valmont bets that he can seduce the honorable woman. However, in the process of seducing her, he falls in love. (DIR. Miloš Forman, 1989, 137 min., English)
Photo courtesy of Jaromír Komárek 

October 07, 2012, 2:00 PM

MASTERS OF CINEMA: František Vláčil
Director František Vláčil's films are well-known for their extraordinary high art quality. Czech critics and industry experts voted his epic Markéta Lazarová (1967) the best Czech film of all time. Spend an afternoon at the National Gallery of Art exploring the work of this monumental director watching films such as the Devil’s Trap (Ďáblova past) and the premiere of the restoration Markéta Lazarová in the East Building Auditorium on October 7, begining at 2 pm.
Photo courtesy of the National Film Archive (NFA) in Prague

October 09, 2012, 6:00 PM

The Queen Vic pub will present the classic film known as Green Gold or Czech Hops Pickers (Starci na chmelu), the first Czech film musical, on October 9, at 6 pm. The film follows the love story of classmates, while hop-picking over the summer. Their bond strengthens when they are expelled from school because of a jealous friend. Enjoy a refreshing draft of Pilsner Urquell and sing Czech hits in this humorous film. (DIR. Ladislav Rychman, 1964, 88 min., Czech with English subtitles)

October 10, 2012, 12:00 PM

DOCS IN SALUTE: The Immortal Balladeer of Prague
The Library of Congress will screen the film The Immortal Balladeer of Prague in the Pickford Theater on October 10, at 12 noon. The film captures the journey of Czech-American Thomas Hasler from Baltimore, to discover the past of his famous father Karel Hašler, a legend of Czech music, theater, and cinema. A Q&A with co-director Josef Lustig and Thomas Hasler follows the screening. (DIRS: Josef Lustig and Marek Jícha, 2007, 62 min., Czech and English with subtitles)

October 10, 2012, 8:00 PM

CONTEMPORARY FILM: Katka
The Avalon Theater welcomes award-winning documentary filmmaker Helena Třeštíková, who will screen her film Katka on October 10, at 8 pm. The film follows the life of a drug addict over 14 years. Katka is an extraordinarily raw and uncensored character portrait of a troubled young woman living on the edge of human existence, desperately searching for love and salvation. A Q&A with the director follows the screening. (DIR. Helena Třeštíková, 2010, 90 min., Czech with English subtitles)

October 11, 2012, 6:30 PM

The Embassy of the Czech Republic will host a special evening with director Helena Třeštíková, one of the most renowned documentary filmmakers in the Czech Republic, on October 11, at 6:30 pm. Třeštíková will show a selection of clips from her own work and talk about how she was influenced by Miloš Forman. She will also screen the documentary René, which received the prestigious European Film Academy Award in 2008. (DIR. Helena Třeštíková, 2008, 60 min., Czech with English subtitles.)
Photo courtesy of Helena Třeštíková

October 13, 2012, 2:00 PM

Director František Vláčil remains one of the most prominent filmmakers of all time in the Czech Republic. Explore his film The Valley of the Bees (Údolí včel) at the National Gallery of Art in the East Building Auditorium on October 13 at 2 pm.
 

October 16, 2012, 6:00 PM

On October 16 at 6 pm, Bistro Bohem will present Czech Heaven (České nebe), a screening of a theater performance by Zdeněk Svěrák and Ladislav Smoljak. Czech Heaven is a theater performance full of specific humor from the repertoire of the Theater of Jára Cimrman, a Czech fictional genius, philosopher, playwright, poet, composer, teacher, traveler, inventor, detective, mathematician and sportsman.The film will be screened in the Czech language only (no English subtitles).

October 17, 2012, 12:00 PM

On October 17, at 12 noon, documentary filmmaker Pavel Štingl will present his film Four Pairs of Shoes (Čtyři páry bot), a documentary portrait on the life of Jan Wiener, at the Library of Congress in the Pickford Theater. Wiener fled war-torn Europe during World War II and returned as an RAF serviceman. He was sent into forced labor for five years during the 1950s, and left for the USA in the 60s, becoming a professor of history. A Q&A with director Pavel Štingl follows the screening. (DIR. Pavel Štingl, 1997, 55 min., Czech with English subtitles)
Photo courtesy of Pavel Štingl

October 18, 2012, 6:30 PM

On October 18, at 6:30 pm, the Embassy of the Czech Republic will present an evening with documentary director Pavel Štingl, laureate of several international awards, in a program called Films about Past and Pre-past Times. The program pays homage to Miloš Forman through a selection of film memoirs, including clips from Forman’s family album and a surprise exercise from his school experience. Štingl will also screen his own documentary The Story of the Shipwrecked from the Patria (Příběh trosečníků Patrie). (DIR. Pavel Štingl, 2006, 45 min., Czech with English subtitles)

October 20, 2012, 11:00 AM

On October 20, at 11 am and 3 pm, the Embassy of the Czech Republic welcomes the Czech theater group Geisslers Hofcomoedianten who will perform the Stilts Trilogy – a street theater performance comprised of three parts: The Astronomical Clock, The Player, and The Bird Catcher. Actors incorporate music and witty banter as they uncover stories from the baroque Kuks Castle. The event will also include an exhibition on Kuks Castle in the Czech Republic. The performance, dedicated to Milos Forman childhood, is a part of the Kids Euro Festival 2012. Admission is free. Please note, the performances will be outside. Please dress accordingly.

October 21, 2012, 11:00 AM

On October 21, at 11 am and 2 pm, La Maison Française will feature the Czech theater group Geisslers Hofcomoedianten who will present the Stilts Trilogy and Kuks Castle exhibition on the premises of the French Embassy. The performances are a part of the Kids Euro Festival 2012. Admission is free. For more information, please visit www.kidseurofestival.org. Please note, the performances will be outside. Please dress accordingly.

October 28, 2012, 1:00 PM

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Embassy of the Czech Republic, will screen Miloš Forman's five-time, Oscar-winning film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest  in the Warner Bros. Theater on October 28 at 1 pm. The event will be followed by a panel discussion that delves into the Czech and US inspirations of the film and features distinguished guests: Pavel Jech, Dean of the prestigious film school in Prague; Andra Freeman, daughter of actor Will Sampson; and Katherine Ott, Medical Sciences curator, National Museum of American History. (DIR. Miloš Forman, 1975, 133 min., English)
Photo courtesy: © 1975 The Saul Zaentz Company. All rights reserved.

October 31, 2012, 7:00 PM

On October 31, at 7 pm, the Embassy of the Czech Republic will present he Star Extravaganza, the Wrap Party of the Mutual Inspirations Festival 2012-Milos Forman, on October 31, at 7 pm. The program includes cocktails, appetizers, a raffle, and dancing with music provided by DJ Tom from Prague. Dress as your favorite movie star! Admission is free.

November 03, 2012, 5:00 PM

Ivan Pinkava is a leading contemporary Czech photographer who has created his own visual language. In his work, Pinkava aims to enter familiar iconographical situations of Western culture in order to – some slightly, some radically – alter, rearrange, rename, empty, cloak or show them in a different light. Behind historical scenes, he finds something relevant and common to both today and the future – human insecurity streaming from one’s own physical impermanence. Experience the work of Pinkava at the Katzen Arts Center in the American University Museum, which will host a Gallery Talk with the photographer on November 3 at 5 pm and opening reception following the talk from 6-9 pm. The exhibition runs until December 16, 2012. Admission is free.