Václav Kadrnka

Eighty Letters

(Czech Republic / 2011 / Drama / Czech / 75min)
World premiere - Berlinale-Forum 2011

Synopsis:
Eighty Letters is autobiographically based. The source of the film are the memories of the director and the surviving correspondence between his parents. The story takes place in Czechoslovakia in 1987. The father has defected to England and the mother and her son are planning to leave the country to be reunited with him. Husband, wife, child – even at a distance they are still together, but the forced break-up of any family is an abnormal situation. The events of the film are viewed from the boy’s perspective, the exasperated gaze of one lacking experience, his initiation in the course of this single day - the film. It is the day when the youth gets a glimpse of adulthood and overcomes fear. His mother’s movements are part of an intensified daily routine, as she maps it out hour by hour. It is a battlefield situation for her. She is on her way, her son catches up with her on that path, but she must act alone if they are to achieve completeness together.

Director: Václav Kadrnka
Screenwriter: Jiří Soukup, Václav Kadrnka
Director of Photography: Braňo Pažitka
Set Designer: Zdeněk Eliáš
Editor: Pavel Kolaja
Sound designer: Jan Čeněk
Producer: Václav Kadrnka

Featuring: Zuzana Lapčíková, Martin Pavluš
Type of film: Feature, Drama
Running time: 75 minutes
Format: 35mm
Originally shot on: 16mm
Screening ratio: 1:1,85
Sound: Dolby Digital

www.imdb.com/eighty_letters

Trailer1

Trailer2

Presskit

Photogallery:

Eighty Letters - Festivals

Berlinale, Germany (Berlin), 10.-20.2.2011, Forum, Nomination for the Best First Feature Film
Febiofest, Czech Republic (Prague), 24.3.-1.4.2011, International Competition of Feature Films
Crossing Europe Filmfestival, Austria (Linz), 12.-17.4.2011, International Competition of Feature Films
Finale Pilsen 2011, Czech Rebublic (Pilsen), 17.-23.4.2011, Competition of Czech Feature Films, Winner of „The Golden Kingfisher Award for the Best Feature Film“
Cinema on the border, Czech Republic(Cieszyn), 28.4.-3.5.2011
Copenhagen Film Festivals, Denmark (Copenhagen), 15.4.-1.5.2011, It Came From the East
Cannes Film Festival – Market Screening, Francie (Cannes), 16.5.2011
Zlín Film Festival, Czech Republic (Zlín), 29.5.-5.6.2011, International Competition of European First Films
Art Film Fest, Slovakia (Trencianske Teplice), 17.-25.6.2011, International Competition of Feature Films
International Film Festival Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic (Karlovy Vary), 1.-9.7.2011, Selection of Best Czech Films
Era New Horizons IFF, Poland (Wroclaw), 21.-31.7.2011, Panorama - films awarded at international film festivals, made by both renowned directors and newly discovered talents
Summer Film School, Czech Republic (Uherské Hradiště), 22.-31.7.2011
4Elements, Slovakia (Banska Stiavnica), 11.-14.8.2011
Film Festival „Třinecké filmové babí léto“, Czech Republic (Trinec), 21.-25.9.2011, International Competition, Winner Golden Debut

Ostrava Kamera Oko, Czech Republic (Ostrava), 23.9.-2.10.2011
Nüremberg International Human Rights Film Festival, Germany (Nürnberg), 28.9-5.10. 2011, International Competition
The Vancouver International Film Festival, Canada (Vancouver), 29.9-14.10.2011
International Film Festival „Ve znamení ryby“, Czech Republic (Olomouc), 29.9.-2.10.2011
CinEast Film Festival, Luxembourg, 5.-23.10.2011, International Competition
International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, Turkey (Antalya), 9.-14.10.2011, Thematic screening programme
Viareggio Europa Cinema, Italy (Viareggio), 10.-16.10.2011,International Competition
Czech Centres Bucharest, Romania (Bucharest), 21.-23.10.2011, Czech Art Films
Exposed Film Festival, Germany (Köln), 2.-6.11.2011, European First Films
Denver Film Festival, USA(Denver), 2.-13.11.2011, American Premier
Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greece (Thessaloniki), 4 -13.11. 2011, International Competition, Winner Silver Alexander - The Grand Jury Award, Winner FIPRESCI Award
European Film Festival-Cinedays, Macedonia (Skopje),11.-18.11.2011, International Competition, Winner SILVER STAR for the best director, Winner for the best male performance for Martin Pavluš
Scanorama, Lithuania (Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda), 11.-22.11.2011, Special Programme Crossing Europe
Festival de cine de Gijón, Spain (Gijón), 18.-26.11.2011, Competitive Section Rellumnes
Denver Film Festival, USA (Denver), 2.-13.11.2011, Section Contemporary World Cinema
Ïstambul Film Festival, Turkey (Istambul), 2.-17.4.2011, Young Masters section
BAFICI, Argentina (Buenos Aires), 6.-17.4.2011, Album familiar section

Eighty Letters - Reviews

„Kadrnka´s portrait of an oppressive system crushing its
subjects to the point they only dream of escaping it is crystal clear “
Dan Fainaru - Screen daily

„a remarkable achievement"
Fatih Özgüven - Fipresci

„75 minutes of perfection“
POSITIF - Revue mensuelle de cinéma

„perfect reduction“
Ralf Schenk - Berliner-zeitung

„this combination of historical precision and personal experience makes it a work of art“
Anna Hoffmann - Berlinale 2011

„remarkably mature masterpiece“
Thomas Rothschild - Titel-magazin

„a little masterpiece“
Nils Fortmann - Negativ-film

„a prayer for a missing father“
Petr Fischer - Lidové noviny

„letters, silence and noise“
Stanislav Ulver – Film a Doba

Václav Kadrnka

Václav Kadrnka was born in September 1973 in Zlín, Czech Republic. In 1988, he emigrated with his family to the United Kingdom, where he studied theatre. From 1999 till 2008 he studied feature film directing at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) in Prague. His student films have been presented at many international film festivals (Mar del Plata, Munich, New York, Karlovy Vary, Berlin, etc.) and won awards both at home and abroad. His full-length feature debut Eighty Letters was premiered at the International Film Festival Berlinale 2011. The film was projected as an official selection and gained international recognition. It has been presented at many other international festivals including Thessaloniki, Vancouver, Denver, Linz, Copenhagen, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Karlovy Vary and Gijon, receiving major awards, including the Silver Alexander, the special jury award and the FIPRESCI Prize at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2011, the Silver Star for the best director at the International film festival Cinedays at Skopje 2011, and the Golden Kingfisher Award for the best Czech feature film at Finale Pilsen 2011. In 2012, Václav Kadrnka was awarded the Czech film critics prize for discovery of the year.

Filmography

2009, Elegy of Wood (Documentary/Hommage) Screenwriter, director, producer.
Best documentary award at XI. International Film Festival at PATRAS CITY PANORAMA 2009 in Greece. Selected for the competition at VI. International Film Festival CON-CAN 2009 in Japan. Selected for the competition at XXIII. PARNU International Documentary and Anthropology Film Festival in Estonia.

2002 Passengers (Bachelor film at FAMU and MVP agency) Screenwriter, director.
The Best Cinematography Award MAXIM, FAMUFEST 2002. The Best Short Fiction Film Award GOLDEN BRICK, FORTFILM TEREZIN 2003. The Best Collection of Student Films Award at XXXVIIIth International Film Festival KARLOVY VARY 2003.Short film competition at XVIIIth International Film Festival MAR DEL PLATA 2003 in Argentina. Honorable Mention Award for the director at 10th International Film Festival ETIUDA 2003 in Krakov. Honorable Mention Award at 6th NYU International Student Film Festival 2003 in New York. Winner of the EIKK (European Film Institute) Award for European Subsidy Programm for Young Film Professionals at 23rd International Festival of Film Schools in Munich 2003. The Best Cinematography Award for short film at 24th International Film Camera Festival MANAKI BROTHERS 2003 in Bitola. Winner of 2nd International Film Festival of Young Filmakers 4art Film Festival 2003 in Slovakia. Winner of 10th International Film Festival Berlin - EIN FENSTER ZUM OSTEN 2004.

2001, The New Take (Student film at FAMU) Director.
Special Creativity Prize FITES, FAMUFEST 2001.

2001, Good Night Sleep (Student film at FAMU) Screenwriter, director.
Honorary Special Mention Award, FAMUFEST 2001.

2001, Odds and Ends (Student film at FAMU) Screenwriter, director.
Honorary Special Mention Award, FAMUFEST 2001.

2000, About a Boy in Football Boots (Student film at FAMU) Screenwriter, director. Special Creativity Prize FITES, FAMUFEST 2001.

2000, Face (Student film at FAMU) Screenwriter, director.

1998, Defector (Graduation film at VOŠFZ) Screenwriter, director, coproducer. Audience Award, MLADA KAMERA UNICOV 1998. Honorary Special Mention Award PIEROT 1998. Selected for the student film competition at VIIth International Film Festival ART FILM TRIENCANSKE TEPLICE 1999 in Slovakia. Selected for the student film competition at XXIXth International Film Festival MOLODIST KYIV 1999 in Ukraine.

Short films

Elegy of Wood

2009, 14 min., 35mm, colour
Documentary/Hommage

Passengers

2002, 15min.,35mm, colour
Bachelor film at FAMU

The New Take

2001, 18min.,Betacam/16mm, colour
Student film at FAMU

Odds and Ends

2001, 10min.,35mm, b/w
Student film at FAMU

Good Night Sleep

2001, 7min.,35mm, colour
Student film at FAMU

About a Boy in Football Boots

2000, 7 min.,16mm, b/w
Student film at FAMU

Face

2000, 7min.,16mm, b/w
Student film at FAMU

Defector

1998, 9min.,35mm, b/w
Graduation film at VOŠFZ

Skicář

Contact

Czech release by

Slovak release by

Václav Kadrnka
film director / producer
Bubenečská 282 / 8, Praha 160 00
Czech Republic

Cell: +420 603 273 758
Email: info@vaclavkadrnka.com
web: http://www.vaclavkadrnka.com

web: http://www.siriusfilms.eu

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