Welcome to the world of international espionage. Whom to trust and whom not to which side to buy? Feature documentary portrait of Karl Kocher, Czechoslovakia's most famous spy of the late 20th century.
Köcher is known as the only former Eastern Bloc spy, who managed to successfully break into the CIA and carry it away for the Czechoslovak intelligence service KGB and information. Köcher he and his young wife planted in the US in 1965 and its mission against the State in which he found a second home, worked long nineteen years. His true mission perfectly hidden until 1984, when he was arrested by the FBI and after a year of imprisonment exchanged at Berlin's Most spies for prominent Soviet dissident Sharansky. The film uses the knowledge of Vladimir Sevel, co-writer and author of the bestselling Czech mole in the CIA. Almost thriller atmosphere of the film creates a vibrant music Andrew Ander.
Czechoslovak film about the most famous spy of the late 20th century, Karl Köchers director Jakub Wagner finished after five years of research and filming. Rino image - spy story describes a stylized manner biographical story of a man who is known as the only former Eastern Bloc spy, who managed to successfully break into the CIA and carry away the information for the Czechoslovak intelligence and the KGB. Completion of the final version of the film, which is heading into the Czech cinemas today, accompanied by disagreements with the actor himself Kocher, who consented to filming, and the movie and performs well under the actual interviews conducted in interesting places. Wagner worked on the project with Vladimir Sevel, author of a book published last year Czech mole in the CIA, which is immediately after the issue became a bestseller.
Trailer for the film
Karl Koecher aka Rino about the film:
"The document I do not like the content or the creative. I requested a blur women Hany under the Act on the Protection of personality. I respect the wishes of his wife demanded it from the beginning. In the film, but did not blurred.
I also requested to be somewhere in the film stated that the allegations journalists Kessler on the search for sexual contact parties anywhere in the file is not justified.
Furthermore bothers me my systematic concealment of resistance to normalization regime. "
Interview with director James Wagner
When and why did you decide to make a film about the famous Czechoslovak spy Karl Köchers?
Five years ago, my hands got declassified folder no. 44503 to the person of Charles Kocher, who in the archives of the security forces had to disclose my good friend Jan Hejkal. The current form of the film is framed in this folder. It's an incredible collection of documents, photographs, fragments describing almost the entire life of the individual, who was on his way collaboration with the intelligence service. It is paradoxical that component wants someone again today partly začerňovat.
What materials, archives and what you drew celebrities you into a movie for the current managed to get interviews?
Besides the personal folder no. 44503 numbering about twelve boxes and ten thousand pages of documents the film in its current form collages very valuable archives. Many of the scarce foreign records, such as Kocher arrest or replacement of the bridge at Berlin, it was really difficult to trace and acquire. I think these contemporary records are one of the most valuable things in the film is located. In the movie is in current talks appear a number of real "stars" of New York's public life, such as former "Hunter spies" from the US Department of Justice John Martin, a former FBI officer and expert on counter-intelligence and the fight against terrorism, David Major and attorney Charles Kocher time Robert Fierer his arrest.
The archival interviews then act, for example, one of the famous New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, head of the New York branch of the phenomenal motorcycle gang Hells Angels Sandy Alexander, with whom Köcher sat in the cell, or a former KGB chief Vladimir Kryuchkov. All this thanks to the work of many people who helped me trace a Archival records. For example, on one single record dvacetivteřinový young Kocher in America and some great photos I waited half a year and it paid off.
Who spin the contrary, refused, and why?
There are dozens of people who did not want to talk either of them, or another reason. In the domestic environment is often a personal struggles stemming still from primitive communism-anticommunism discourse. Primarily a radically did not want to be interviewed or otherwise in a film secede wife Karla Kocher. In the film with her only two shots, to which she agreed, the rest is from the archives. It's a shame, because it is always feminine look vastly different, and had talked openly, I stood film half on her. Whether it was her any role, the couple acted together even still works as an extremely strong pair ... you could say to the grave.
Of the other in the film refused to disembark, for example, adviser to US President Jimmy Carter and now Barack Obama, Zbigniew Brzezinski and former KGB general Oleg Kalugin. Such negative attitudes at least suggest that this is still a sensitive issue. Other witnesses are no longer living.
And as is now the main actor of the film builds Charles Kocher, who consented to filming?
Köcher itself now has a film series of major problems. This is understandable in terms of his life and the life of a spy ... But based on the contract he signed, has no right to approve anything. From the beginning it was clear that there must be conflict, when such a topic that do expect. Today I see it as another dimension to the film.
Before we started shooting, there were also various attempts us an incredible story even steal a very Köcher got from other produce so. Enticing menu and so on. Normal filmmaking affair, no ...
Did you feel while working on the film any pressure from anyone for it, how you should portray itself Kocher?
When you process a controversial political topic spy, you feel pressure constantly. Everyone is in such times smarter than you. Everyone has a need to define itself, including the detected object, and only after approval projection with co-producers! With one hundred percent certainty in this world you can not say anything. It was a grueling duel brains and egos, and therefore he would never again wanted to attend. But it will fun to watch how people will argue, as it was in reality and what is Rino actually are.
For whom, for what and at what times do you Köcher actually worked?
It's simple, it was primarily an experiment Czechoslovak intelligence: Köcher always from 1963 until 1989 he worked for the Czechoslovak intelligence service. He then worked for 11 years at the CIA under regular employment relationship, and how it was with the KGB and the specific forms of cooperation in the film try to explain, or at least suggest ...
Do you personally in his work focuses on documentaries about strong or important personalities, whether it was in the past or Jan Kaplicky Josef Vana. What are you attracted to such work?
Actually, it was always a bit of a coincidence. Their lives are filled with doubt and inspiration for the film even more. Kaplický entire life fighting for spherical building and Vanya you break a bone, so again to ride, it is in itself sufficient ... Once you move between architects, are among jockeys, and finally the spies. But after the third film to cinemas in the starring a celebrity, certainly this type of film time leave. Similarly, most still appreciate his graduation film from 2014, Family Matters, where there was no pressure, either money or theme. The film won Andrej Stankovic and for me was the freest form of work. Also, because the film is composed only of fragments and archival records.
Profile of director James Wagner
Jakub Wagner was born in Prague in 1979. In 2014, won the title MgA. On documentary filmmaking. He works as a director and his colleagues founded a new production GPO Platform, which also works out to produce.
Filmography:
Jan Kaplický - Profile (52 min, Czech Republic, 2004), Tales of the Lesser Quarter 130 years (82 min, Czech Republic, 2011), Bath (75 min, Czech Republic, 2012), Family Matters (56 min, Czech Republic, 2014 ), Rino - The story of a spy (96 ', Czech Republic 2016)
Source: press kit, tz