Arts | All stories

Opposed, later persecuted – and finally forgotten. That was the fate of many Czech Catholic writers, who stood outside the literary mainstream. In one of Europe’s most atheist nations, the impact of these authors gradually diminished throughout the 20th century although in their heyday, in the interwar period, they managed to convey many original ideas and intriguing artistic expressions.

In this week’s Arts, I talk to David Peimer, professor of theatre at University College in the UK, also involved with the Pinter Centre for Performance and Creative Writing in London. In our interview Mr Peimer discusses In Other Rooms - a production in English of lesser-known short plays by the late Nobel Prize laureate Harold Pinter. While not as widely-known as Pinter’s most famous work, the short plays are highly recommended – and Czech audiences will have a chance to see them this weekend when the production, co-directed by Mr Peimer, comes

In this week’s Arts, I speak to Jaroslav Rudiš, the author of an influential graphic novel (trilogy, actually) that delves into the fog of history and troubled Central European past. The story of Alois Nebel – a slightly mad railwayman working in a remote border region – it has been made into a new film that premiered last week in the Czech Republic after being featured in festivals in Venice and Toronto.

Jiří Jírů developed a love for photography from his uncle, the avant-garde Czech photographer Václav Jírů, before studying the discipline in Brussels and working for US publications such as Time and Newsweek. In the course of his career, Jiří Jírů has snapped celebrities ranging from the Bee Gees to Queen Elizabeth II, and spent almost a decade working as President Václav Havel’s official photographer. Jírů divides his time between Prague and Brussels, which is where he found himself on August 21, 1968:

It is only every five years or so that the renowned Czech animator Jan Švankmajer brings out a new film, and the wait is now over. “Surviving Life” draws on many of Švankmajer’s traditional themes and styles while exploring them through an experimental medium, once again confirming why he is the most acclaimed Czech art house director at home and abroad.

The Fresh Film Festival – highlighting work by debuting directors and student filmmakers – got underway in Prague this week, offering viewers a rare opportunity to see films they would otherwise have little chance to see. Last year “heroes” were the main theme; this year it’s “defiance”.

In this week’s Arts, my guest is Welsh writer James Stafford, the author of a wonderfully irreverent new webcomic The Sorrowful Putto of Prague. The comic tells the story of a 400-year-old putto (or cherub) named Xavier living in the city and it has captured the attention of both Czech and English-language readers. After looking up the site myself, I was curious to learn more about Xavier and his world. Luckily James Stafford – who is not usually based in Prague – was able to come to the studio to discuss the project.

In this week’s Arts we look at Europe’s film heritage as compiled in a unique project organised by the Deutsches Filminstitut. Called the European Film Gateway (EFG), the project only recently came online. It makes available to users extensive digitalised documentary and other film material, trailers, original posters and much more, all compiled by participating European film archives and film houses. The Czech Republic’s own National Film Archive was one of the many institutions involved.

If you are a regular Radio Prague reader or listener, you will probably already be familiar with the Summer Film School at Uherské Hradiště. The long-running and largely unique festival in the Czech Republic offers audiences a rare opportunity to view new and classic films, as well as to take part in discussions, lectures, and even master classes with world-class film directors. In this edition, the festival’s artistic director Pavel Bednařík discusses participation by this year’s main guests, the highly-respected filmmakers Emir Kusturica & Aki Kaurismaki.

A new exhibition entitled ‘A Hidden Face of Baroque’ opened on Thursday at the National Gallery’s Kinský Palace in Prague. The show allows visitors a chance to view rare 17th century prints historically tied to the lands of to Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. Many are faithful renderings of works by early Baroque painters such as Karel Škréta, expertly reproduced by engravers both in Bohemia and neighbouring Germany, especially Augsburg, renowned for printmaking at that time. The exhibition highlights all of the dramatic grandeur, symbolism and allegory