May-June 2010
Entering my compartment on a night train from Prague to Amsterdam on a Tuesday night in May, I discover that I’ve lost my new edition of Ask the Dusk by John Fante with its introduction by Charles Bukowski somewhere along the way! Arrghhh, not only is this a big loss for me, I have nothing else to read, either. Damn, what a perspective for next sixteen hours. Fortunately, I’ve got my laptop with me and the battery still works, so I decide to start recording my fresh memories of a very special visit to Prague over the last two days.
I made this trip together with my colleague Edwin Carels, who must be at home in Belgium by now, as we saw him off to the Ruzyne airport some hours ago. A sixteen-hour night trip still lies ahead of me – that is, if there are no delays. Who are the ‘we’ seeing my colleague Edwin off to the airport, you may wonder? The delegation was really a special one: in the car, which was coming back from his studio in the small village of Knoviz, was the legendary Czech surrealist artist, animator and film director,
Jan Svankmajer; his producer,
Jaromir Kallista; and the producer’s assistant,
Jana Bebrova. Together with Edwin, we had had the honour of visiting the studio at Knoviz for the first time and seeing the place where Jan Svankmajer’s latest film, Prezit svuj zivot (Surviving Life) was created over the last two years. As the author says at the introduction of the film: ‘This film is going to be a comedy that nobody is going to laugh at.’
Jan Svankmajer in his editing room in Knoviz.
The film was created by the director with the support of a whole team of enthusiast people, from what we have understood, mostly young animators from all over the world who felt privileged to work for Jan Svankmajer. To overcome the insufficient budget for his latest film, the director decided to save money on actors and exterior shots, and just make (many!) pictures to be used in a unique photography animation technique. This was all done with classic animation by hand, as Jan Svankmajer does not accept computerized methods (tactile contact with the film is most important for him). And he didn’t see it as a formal experiment but simply as a need to make the entire film within his own studio, with his own hands. The original idea of saving money failed, though, as in the end this was a highly time-consuming method, and some scenes had to be acted by actors anyway. So the film is a combination of feature and animation with the use of collages that enrich the film by giving it a new, fantastical dimension.
Surviving Life is the first film Jan Svankmajer has made without his partner, the artist Eva Svankmajerova, who sadly passed away some years ago. Fortunately, it looks like Jan Svankmajer is in good shape after this immense loss and is full of creative energy again as well.
The closed screening of
Surviving Life took place the day before in the famous screening hall of the Czech National Film Archives,
Ponrepo, situated in the heart of Prague. Prior to the film, two different short documentaries about the making of the film gave us a closer picture of the techniques with which the film was made and the special memories and experiences of the actors. One of them was even present, the well-known Slovak actress
Zuzana Kronerova, who is very much appreciated by Czech filmmakers as well (among others by Bohdan Slama).
This is a very exciting period for the director and his producer and the whole crew, as now is the time for decision-making as far as festivals are concerned and of course there is a lot of interest already for the Czech master’s latest work. The hall is full, and the Czech guests and film critics accept the film enthusiastically, even though it is a bit a demanding to follow, especially because of the great amount of dialogue, the film’s rhythm and its intellectual message. The film has its origins in one of the (many!) dreams that Jan Svankmajer has had throughout his life, although more of them are also included. This is because Jan Svankmajer is keen on dreams and wants to give them back the important role that they have always played in human lives in the past. Surviving Life is the story of an older man who lives a double life: the real one and its dream counterpart. To help solve the dilemma brought about by this double life, he visits a psychoanalyst.
A group picture at the dinner: bottom (left to right) Edwin Carels,
Jan Svankmajer, Pavla Kallistova, Jana Bebrova, top (left to right)
Ludmila, Zuzana Kronerova, Juraj Galvanek, Jaromir Kallista.
After the screening, we have a tasty dinner in a typical Czech pub next door with Jan Svankmajer, the Kallistas, the assistant Jana, Jan Svankmajer’s long-time cameraman and Slovak co-producer of the film Juraj Galvanek, and the actress Zuzana Kronerova together with her husband Milan. Zuzana is a huge admirer of the great artist and tells me what a great honour it was for her to work with Jan Svankmajer; she says she would even hold the lights if need be (also a quote from one of the ‘making of’ films) so special is it for her to work with this director. But as her acting is better than her light-holding ability, the director invited her as an actress. Zuzana has always had a special sense of humour and has always been very modest, even though she is one of the internationally best-known Slovak actresses.
While at the studio in Knoviz the next day, Edwin discusses the preparations for his part of the prestigious exhibition being organized in Bruges this autumn. Jan Svankmajer and his artwork will be given a special place amongst other well-known international artists, and Edwin and Jan have to decide which parts of the work they want to exhibit there. I have the pleasure of facilitating the communication between the two of them. Not only do I speak the language, I have had the honour of knowing Mr. Svankmajer personally for about eight years now and also have had the privilege of seeing his work and his enormous, wonderful private collections of art at their Stankov castle before.
Jan Svankmajer's studio in Knoviz
We are guided by the master himself and follow him through the labyrinth of rooms, studios, attics and cellars that are hidden in this seemingly small building. On this special trip through the bowels of the house, Edwin and I recognize objects from films we admire, and we both feel like shouting with joy! Alice, Faust, Otesanek, Conspirators of Pleasure and even more: his goblinesque animals and objects, Jan and Eva’s mineralized shoes, enormous collections of African objects, ‘medium paintings’ (sketches made in trance, also together with Eva), paintings by his wife Eva and so much, much more that we almost get dizzy. And even though Jan Svankmajer doesn’t go to the cinema to see films, he likes to watch them on video from his homemade wooden bed. Next to his bed is a pile of them; reigning supreme on the top is none other than Lost Highway by David Lynch.
Objects: the shoes of Eva and Jan Svankmajer, mineralized in the waters of Carlsbad.
The pictures that
Surviving Life was animated from are stored with the highest precision and care; some of them are waiting to become part of the collages that Jan Svankmajer is working on at the moment. Still impressed by seeing the film the day before, this is yet another unexpected and wonderful surprise at which we fall quiet. The creativity of this great world master has no limits and we admire his latest work with the highest respect. What beauty, these collages! We immediately discuss the possibility of exhibiting them in Rotterdam in 2011, during our 40th anniversary. After all, master Svankmajer, no doubt about it, is one of the most wanted and expected of guests, whose films and artwork have become even more well-known since the wonderful exhibition at the Chabot Museum in 2004.
Jan Svankmajer showing the collages for his latest film