After the death of Věra Chytilová in 2014, several of her shows took place in the world, such as the London-based review called Defiance and Compassion (2015), which featured 13 of her films. None of the shows, however, were as extensive as the retrospective prepared by DocLisboa. Visitors to the festival will be able to see virtually the diverse work of this author, from her first student film, Kočičina (1960), to the last feature film " Pretty Moments without Guaranty" (2006).
Complete retrospective program
"Chytilová was an uncompromising and stubborn filmmaker who at all times recognized the true value of freedom," says curator of the Lisbon retrospective Boris Nelepo. "For me personally, Chytilová is primarily a mysterious director, whose work is still waiting for detailed decryption or even a mere view - it is an example of an unthinkable and difficult to define individual artist" , adds the curator.
Vera Chytilová was not only uncompromising but also innovative. In the Czech film she brought both her idea of morality and all possible ways of her failure, as well as a distinctive handwriting, seeking new ways of expressing through the film language. Initially, it was based on the cinema verité style, which was influenced by her first short Ceiling and Silent flea (1962), and the film About something else (1963), combining a documentary with a feature film. Chytilová was a natural part of the Czechoslovak new wave, standing by Miloš Forman, Jiří Menzel, Evald Schorm and others. Each of them retained their own poetics and style.
Chytilla helps understand the world of the film today
"Early," classic "Chytil, draws on surrealism, symbolism and traditions of allegory. It differs dramatically from Chytil in the seventies and eighties, which found her new style in virtuoso cutouts from everyday life without anyhow undermining her artistic integrity. Its chronicles still allow us to look into the then Czechoslovak society. Her highlight of this period, Panelstory, or How a Settlement Begins, remains to this day a gruesome, tragic and perfectly executed memorial of Communism (surprisingly, she encountered Kira Murat, whose late motives Chytilov anticipates to a large extent). Her work is even more interesting: the Vlčí bouda is one of the first AIDS films in the world ( Kopytem here, the hoof there ), then comes the subversive folk comedy Heritage or Kurvahošigutntag , which describes the domestic transition to capitalism with absolute precision, and finally there is a radically feminist perspective of the movie Pasti, Traps, Trappings followed by a courtesy of a close friend and co-author in a portrait of Ester Quest , " says Boris Nelepo.
"Therefore, it is extremely important for us to present the most comprehensive retrospective, including Chytil documents, short films and films for television. Understanding such a long and complex career is not a job for archivists. On the contrary, Chytil's prominent film language, her thoughts and formal resources anticipate the future so much that they help us understand the world of the film today, " adds the curator of the show.
The DocLisboa Festival has featured retrospectives by such prominent creators as Peter Watkins, Frederick Wiseman, Zelimir Žilnik, Johan Van Der Keuken, Chantal Akerman, Harun Farocki, Jean Rouch, Jorgen Leth, Marcel Ophüls, Joris Ivens and Jonas Mekas.
Source: tz