Film: Václav Havel, Prague - Castle

October 08, 2013, 7:00 PM

Czech documentary director Petr Jančárek will screen his documentary Václav Havel, Prague - Castle (Václav Havel, Praha - Hrad) at West End Cinema on October 8, at 7 pm. The film presents a window into the life of the former President of the Czech Republic. Interviews with Havel, his advisors and staff, as well as Madeleine Albright and others, tell the story of a truly unique period in the history of the former Czechoslovakia and the complex personality of the former President, who suddenly went from being a dissident to becoming the head of a free democratic state. A Q&A session with director Petr Jančárek follows the screening.
Photo courtesy of Petr Jančárek

Václav Havel, Prague - Castle
Petr Jančárek, 2009, 57 minutes, in Czech with English subtitles

The film explores the earliest days of Václav Havel's presidency, as told by members of Havel's inner circle and the playwright himself, including the arrival of his team to Prague Castle in the wake of the turbulent 1989 elections and his historic speech to the U.S. Congress. Havel and his advisors' immediate goal was to lead the country to its first free elections as quickly as possible. Interviews with Havel, his advisors and staff, as well as Madeleine Albright and others, tell the story of a truly unique period in the history of the former Czechoslovakia and the complex personality of the former President, who suddenly went from being a dissident to becoming the head of a free democratic state. The film also chronicles his first trips to European countries, the USA and the Soviet Union, as well as the first visits of Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama to the former Czechoslovakia. Discover the character of Václav Havel as seen through the eyes of those around him.

Event Details:
Location: West End Cinema
2301 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037
(Entrance on 23rd Street)

Tickets are available at the West End Cinema box office or online at: www.westendcinema.com.