zlom angl

d i r e c t e d b y R o m a n Vá v r a
a classic fairy–tale
for the whole family
Contact:
Verbascum, producer Richard Němec, Černá 6, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic
tel.: 00420 2 24930077, fax: 00420 2 24930384, verbascum@email.cz
In the land of King Dobromil honest labour, decency, honesty and respect among people has become a thing of the past. Instead the
country is gradually succumbing to Hell’s force and, thus, those who
have some remnants of decency prefer to flee. When things in the
land go from bad to worse the King in his helplessness sells his soul
to the Devil, and his base Minister takes over the reigns of power. At
this very time in the Kingdom appears an inconspicuous merry dreamer called Philip. When muddle-headed herbalist and sorceress Apollonia sees him coming with an ass she is convinced he is the saviour
from her dreams. Noone realises he is a Prince from a neighbouring
Kingdom. And, lo-and-behold, Philip really manages to save the land
from Hell not, though, through any magic but because of his courage,
humour, his sincere love for Princess Annie and, maybe, his wellaimed cheek to counter the omnipotent Lucifer.
All this, and much more, we will see portrayed using kind-hearted
poeticism, nerve-tingling drama and, above all, distinctive humour in
a classic fairy-tale film created by noted scripwriters Miloš Macourek
and Ondrej Šulaj, and directed by Roman Vávra. With such seasoned
authors and the director’s unusual vivid imagination, a spectacle for
everyone is ensured. It is a film for those who want to relax, amuse
themselves, or just pause a while, but, mainly, it is a film for people
both big and small who believe that evil will not triumph as long as
we do not tremble in fear when facing it.
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CONTENT:
synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
crew and technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
deadlines and locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
biography of the director Roman Vávra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
biography of the scriptwriter Miloš Macourek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
biography of the scriptwriter Ondřej Šulaj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
biography of the producer Richard Němec and information about the company Verbascum . . . 9
story outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
PICTORIAL ADDENDUM:
location photographs
working sketches of costumes
Translated by Pavel Theiner
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Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roman Vávra
Story and script . . . . . . . . . . . . Ondrej Šulaj
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miloš Macourek
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roman Vávra
Producers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Němec – Verbascum
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Czech Television
Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ramunas Greičius
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Antonie Janková
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Němec
Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Petr Ostrouchov
Set Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . František Lipták
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kateřina Kopicová
Costume design . . . . . . . . . . . . Kateřina Mírová
Executive producer . . . . . . . . . Richard Němec
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roman Bartoníček
Cast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Iva Janžurová
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tatiana Pauhofová
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Josef Somr
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lubomír Kostelka
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jiří Lábus
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eva Holubová
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Csongar Kassai
Full-length feature fairy-tale.
Actual length 100 mins. – approx. 2900m.
35mm. widened format 1: 1.85
Dolby Digital Surround EX sound system.
Producers: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Verbascum (Czech Rep.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Czech TV
Co-producers: . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bamac (Slovak Rep.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Slovak TV
The project has been supported by EURIMAGES, a grant from PRO SLOVAKIA
and The Czech State Fund for the Support and Development of Czech Cinematography.
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PROJECT AND DISTRIBUTION DEADLINES:
September – December 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pre-production
February – June 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Production, a total of 51 filming days
July – December 2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Post-production
February 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Premiere for cinema distribution
October 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Premiere for video distribution
Autumn 2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TV premieres
LOCATIONS AND STUDIOS:
Apollonia’s house and garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kokořín valley
Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pernštejn – interiors and exteriors
River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dunajec – Červený Kláštorec (Slovak Rep.)
River and ferry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .River Berounka near Beroun
Woodcoal merchant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kokořín valley
Woodcoal store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kokořín valley
Hell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Poldi factory in Kladno
Volcano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mine heaps in northern Bohemia
Czech TV studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Several interiors from Hell and Castle, well
All exterior locations with the exception of the river (Dunajec in the Slovak Republic) and castle (Perštejn in Moravia) are to be
found in various places in central Bohemia. Emphasis when choosing locations was placed on authenticity and, also, the romantic
aspect of the environment.
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ROMAN VÁVRA – DIRECTOR
FILMOGRAPHY:
Feature films:
2000
Bitva o život/Battle for Life (Verbascum, Czech TV, 88 mins., Directed with M:Janek and V.Janeček, feature documentary
distributed in cinemas)
1998
Co chytneš v žitě/In The Rye (1998, Verbascum, Czech TV, 100 mins., first feature)
Short films and documentaries:
2001
Skříň/Wardrobe
(Czech TV, 25 mins., micro-comedy)
2001
Jak jsem se zbláznil – Ota Pavel/How I became mad – Ota Pavel
(53 mins., Czech TV, documentary)
1999
Zblízka Rádio Limonádový Joe/A Close-up – Radio Lemonade Joe
(Czech TV, 58 mins., documentary)
1997
Jak se žije převozníkům//Ferrymen
(FEBIO, 14 mins., documentary)
1996
Bojovníci/The Fighters
(Czech TV, 39 mins., documentary)
1996
Co chytneš v žitě (Osina)/In The Rye (The Awn)
(Verbascum, FAMU, 26 mins., acted film)
1996
Genus Jana Nedvěda/A Portrait of Jan Nedvěd
(FEBIO, 14 mins., documentary)
1995
Na cestě/On the Road
(Czech TV, 40 mins., documentary)
1994
Bylo, nebylo/Once upon a Time
(Czech TV, 21 mins., documentary)
1993
V páté řadě na Mertovi/In the Fifth Row at Merta
(Czech TV, 38 mins., documentary)
1993
Bratři a sestry/Brothers and Sisters
(FAMU, 29 mins., documentary)
1992
Hnutí mysli/A Move of Mind
(FAMU, 11 mins., documentary)
Roman Vávra (b.1965) graduated Prague’s School of Economics as well as in documentary film-making at Prague’s Film Academy
(FAMU). Even while at school he gained recognition with his humorous portrait of a grave-digger (Bylo, nebylo/Once Upon A Time),
a film which, at the same time, contemplates life’s fateful crossroads. He also made, among others, a noteworthy documentary
(Bojovníci/The Fighters) dedicated to a group of down-to-earth gardeners trying to eradicate giant hogweed.
Roman Vávra dedicates himself to dramatic films as well as documentaries – he involves himself in his projects also as a scripwriter.
Furthermore, he works as a theater director. Since 1992 he has regularly worked together with Czech TV where, for example, he
directed and was partly responsible for the script in the TV serial Křížem krážem na cestě/Criss Cross On The Road. Roman Vávra has
won several times the Prize of the Czech Literary Foundation, the Pavel Juráček Prize, two Maxims for the best student film, the
Jurors Prize from the Hungarian Festival Media Wave ‘96 etc..
His feature debut Co chytneš v žitě/In The Rye was shown at many foreign and domestic Festivals and received prizes, (e.g. The Golden Grape, Poland, 1999 and Golden Debut, Summer Film in Těrlice, 1999). In 1988, the film was nominated for 5 Czech Lions (the
Czech annual film awards), among them direction, script and best film. Actress Iva Janžurová won one for Best Actress for the main
role as the brave bride Jindřiška. Film was warmly received by the public as well as in the media.
In 2000 he co-directed a documentary film Bitva o život/Battle for Life. This film brought the documentary genre back into Czech cinemas. The film was awarded the annual prize by the professional film association FITES. It also received a special prize at a review of
Czech films where it stood in competition with dramatic films. Further, it will represent the Czech Republic in the official documentary
section of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival 2001 (MFF), and has been chosen for the competition section at several other festivals abroad.
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MILOŠ MACOUREK – SCREENWRITER
SELECTION FROM FILMOGRAPHY (PRODUCED SCREENPLAYS):
2000
Kytice/Wild Flowers
1998
Jezerní královna/Lake princess
1997
Pták ohnivák/Firebird
1996
Kouzelný měšec/Magical purse
1996
Král Ubu/King Ubu
1986
Mladé víno/Young wine
1985
Mach a Šebestová/Max and Sally
1981
Zralé víno/Ripe wine
1981
Monstrum z galaxie Arkana/Monster from Arkana galaxy
1979
Hon na kočku/Cat hunt
1977
Jak utopit doktora Mráčka/How to drown Dr. Mracek
1977
Což takhle dát si špenát/Do you fancy some Spinach?
1972
Dívka na koštěti/Girl on a broom
1970
Čtyři vraždy stačí, drahoušku/Darling, four murders will do
1970
Pane, vy jste vdova!/Mister, you’re a widow!
1969
Zabil jsem Einsteina, pánové/Sirs, I’ve killed Einstein
1966
Kdo chce zabít Jessii?/Who wants to kill Jessie?
Miloš Macourek (b.1926) is the most experienced scriptwriter in Czech comedy and fairy-tale film industry. He entered the literary
scene with a collection of poems Člověk by nevěřil svým očím/One wouldn’t believe one’s eyes (1958). In the 1960s he wrote plays
for the theater Na zábradlí and, at the same time, wrote scripts for the Barrandov Film Studios and Krátký Film Prague. He is responsible for 29 feature films (mainly comedies and fairy-tales), 7 dramatic TV serials (Arabella, Létající Čestmír/Flying Čestmír, Křeček v
noční košili/Hamster in a nightshirt – many of whch were co-productions with foreign partners, particularly from Germany) and 5 animated serials (Mach a Šebestová/Max and Sally, Žofka). He is also the author of dozens of animated films which have received festival awards world-wide. Further, he has written 10 books which have been translated into fourteen languages (Živočichopis/Animalbook, Mach a Šebestová/Max and Sally).
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ONŘEJ ŠULAJ – SCREENWRITER
FILMOGRAPHY:
Produced screenplays:
2000
Sokoliar Tomáš/Falconer Thomas
(director V:Vorlíček – fairy-tale feature)
1998
Obrázky z výletu/Pictures from a trip
(co-scripted by M.Leščák and M.Šulík)
story from the film Praha očima.../Prague stories...
1997
Orbis Pictus
(co-scripted by M.Leščák, directed by M.Šulík)
1995
Záhrada/Garden
(directed by M.Šulík)
1995
Vášnivý bozk/Passionate Kiss
(directed by M.Šindelka)
1992
Všetko, čo mám rád/All that I’m fond of
(directed by M.Šulík)
1991
Neha/Tenderness
(directed by M.Šindelka)
1988
Správca skanzenu/Caretaker of an outdoor museum
(directed by Š.Uher)
1987
Štek/Rage
(directed by M.Luther)
1985
Tichá radosť/Silent joy
(directed by D.Hanák)
1982
Pavilón šeliem/Big mammals pavilion
(directed by D.Trančík)
1981
Pomocník/Helper
(directed by Z.Záhon)
Implemented sctripts for TV films:
1996-7
Silvánovci/Silvanovecs
(directed by K. Spišák) TV serial – 44 parts
1994
Na bukvovom dvore/In Bukva Courtyard
(script and direction by O.Šulaj)
1992
O psíkovi a mačičke/Doggie and Cattie
(script and direction by O.Šulaj)
1985
Poznám takú bylinku/I recognise a little herb
(directed by J.Banyák)
1980
Pomocník/Helper
(directed by L. Vajdička)
1979
Chlapec z Majera/Boy from Majer
(directed by S.Párnický)
1977
Ťapákovci/Tapakovecs
(directed by L. Vajdička)
1973
Lupiči v Hammerponde/Thief from Hammerponde
(directed by M.Pietor)
Professor Ondrej Šulaj (b.1949) works as a scriptwriter and director for film and television. He also writes outside these mediums
and lectures. He graduated from the university VŠMU in Bratislava, receiving degrees in film and theater direction. In 1979 he began
teaching at this school. From 1993-1999 he served as Dean of the Film and TV Faculty. Apart from this, he has been the Director of
Drama at the SNP Theater in Martin and the Nová scéna in Bratislava. At present, he is the President of the Slovak Film and TV Academy. Ondřej Šulaj has written over ten scripts for the theater and directed plays in Slovakia as well as abroad. He is also the author
of many TV and film scripts which have been awarded prizes at foreign festivals (Karlovy Vary, Trieste, San Remo, Strasbourg, Angers,
Mannheim, Prix Italia Bologna and many others).
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RICHARD NĚMĚC – PRODUCER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
FILMOGRAFIE:
Feature films – producer and executive producer:
2000
Bitva o život/Battle for Life
(directed by Roman Vávra, Miroslav Janek, Vít Janeček, 88 mins.,
Czech TV co-production)
1998
Co chytneš v žitě/In The Rye
(directed by Roman Vávra, 100 mins., Czech TV co-production)
Executive Producer:
1999
Zblízka Rádio Limonádový Joe/A Close-up – Radio Lemonade Joe
(directed by R.Vávra, Czech TV)
1996-7
Šedesátka/Sixty
(various, musical weekly, Czech TV)
1994
Přijel k nám cirkus/The circus has arrived
(directed by K.Vondrová, Czech TV)
1993
V páté řadě na Mertovi/In the fifth row at Merta
(directed by R.Vávra, Czech TV)
Richard Němec (b.1971), after leaving grammar school, completed his apprenticeship in the production department of Krátký Film
Prague, working on a number of work-for-hire films for foreign partners. In 1998, he graduated from the Production department of
FAMU (Prague Film School). Between 1994-2000 he was the producer at Archa Theater in Prague where he was involved mainly in
production of foreign and multi-media projects (e.g.Residents Freakshow live) and also as the Programer of the Film Club. In 1995 he
founded a production company Verbascum which was transformed in 2000 into a limited company. Verbascum works closely with
several production groups within Czech TV in the co-production area as well as executive production.
Contact:
Verbascum, producer – Richard Němec, Černá 6, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic
tel.: 00420 2 24930077, fax: 00420 2 24930384, verbascum@email.cz
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STORY OUTLINE (LONG VERSION)
THE DEVIL KNOWS WHY
If a devil appears in Hell and asks the poor souls in cauldrons whether the water isn’t too hot, or if he should add a drop of cold
water to cool things down, it means that there’s something strange going on in Hell. And Lucifer stumbles across such an absurd anomaly on his isnpection tour-- and it makes him mad.
The cause of these alarming deformities is herbal sorceress Apollonia’s garden where flowers grow whose aroma disseminates
goodwill and love. Appolonia’s cottage stands in a forest near Hell’s entrance, making it easy for devils pop in on the odd occasion –
and that always causes trouble. All this Lucifer tells Appolonia, thundering terrifyingly in order to convince her to do away with the
garden. Appolonia, though, is no wilting flower and sends the hellish ruler to the devil.
In Apollonia’s kingdom terrible things are happening and Apollonia is deeply unhappy. People are sinning more and more and Hell is
having a feast. It’s not just a question of poverty which torments the wretches but, mainly, it’s about the moral decay where one lot
destroys another, where rogues are victors and where being good and honest means being no more than an object of ridicule or the
victim of evil. Apollonia sows her miraculous seeds wherever she can, but the populace destroys the flowers in order not to become
infected by goodness. Although the land is free-falling towards ruin Apollonia doesn’t lose heart. Apollonia’s foster-mother, who was a
kind witch and founded the garden, pronounced a death-bed prophecy that one day a man would appear who would save the kingdom. He would be young and arrive with an ass.
Our story begins by a river on which a raft with two youngsters appears.The older one, Quido, is merry and thoughtless, a man-ofthe world kind of chap. The younger one, Philip, is more soulful, more serious, with a kind of behaviour suggesting some strange tragic experience. In a minor incident, they come across a charming strawberry blonde. Neither Philip nor the girl can put that moment
out of their minds. Both feel that they have fallen in love at first sight.
The two young men, who have been travelling for several days, deliver their raft up for wood, take their reward and are free. They
have no inkling that their wood will be used to heat Hell and that they are dealing with devils. At the woodcoalmans’ place in the
forest where the wood is processed they come across an old disobedient ass. The angry coalman wants to get rid of the animal, so
he presents it to Philip. Together with Quido and the ass, Phillip travels to a village to find a bed for the night.Apollonia sees the
young man coming with the ass and immediately remembers the prophecy foretold by her foster-mother.
As they arrive in town, Phillip and Quido experience a shocking event on the village green: a poor wretch who has smelt the flower
of goodness, is giving away everything that his family had left. Relatives are beating him like there is no tomorrrow, but most revolting of all-- a priggish aristocrat passing through the village, the Chief Minster, is humiliating the poor man. Philip gives the family a
little money and, against Quido’s protests, gives the Minister a hiding. The villagers consider Philip to be another victim of the flowers
but Apollonia’s confidence grows that Philip is really the pre-ordained saviour of the ruined kingdom. Because Philip was hurt in the
fight Apollonia offers to treat him and invites both of them home.
At home Apollonia’s hunch deepens further when she judges Philip’s behaviour to be that of an aristocrat rather than a village
yokel. When she learns that the young men are looking for work she directs them to the castle. Further, she learns that Philip was
charmed (and vice versa) by Princess Annie, that very strawberry blonde which the tow young men met briefly on their arrival. Apollonia feels she has a duty to help „the saviour" in order that he prevent the country's ruin and finally sits at Annie’s side as King.
Apollonia is unaware that the kingdom cannot be saved, that disaster is inevitable. The widowed King, to whom Apollonia is tied by
a youthful love-affair, is now just a puppet in his brother-in-laws’ hands – the Chief Minister and super scoundrel with whom Lucifer
himself signed a pact. Their agreement is simple: the Minister will ensure the Kingdom’s downfall and, thus, force the King to sign up
to Hell in order to save the land. When the king is then dragged to Hell, the brother-in-law will take over the throne as Lucifer’s ally.
The Minister is fulfilling his end of the agreement by embezzling the country’s finances and, using an infernal machine, sending the
moneyto the devils as if to a bank.
Philip and Quido arrive at the castle just when the King’s personal tragedy is culminating and when this sincere but weak man,
whose only solace is his daughter and bee-keeping, is coming to terms with the idea that Hell’s help is the kingdom’s only way out.
Philip, equipped with Apollonia’s magical spices capable of turning a potato pancake into a sought-after delicacy, arrives at the
castle as a chef. The ever-joking Quido accompanies him as a fool. Both again meet the strawberry blonde, Annie, and are surprised
that she is a princess. Annie also happens to be surprised. Her interest in Philip turns to a deep fateful love even moreso when she
notices, like Apollonia, that Philip is no ordinary village lad.
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Noticing the budding romance between Phillip and Annie, Quido’s thoughts turn towards envy. Driven by this passion, he becomes
an ally of the Chief Minister, the King’s brother-in-law. The graceful Quido, fawned on by women, unfortunately also attracts the eye of
the Minister’s wife who pursues him at every step and, so, the poor fool has great difficulties in balancing between her and her mighty
husband.
The situation at the castle, and particularly Annie’s personal troubles, are further complicated by the fact that Philip has cause to
hide his true identity, living at the castle as a chef and unable to bring his relationship with the Princess into the open.
At the time of Philip’s arrival the King makes a last desperate move to avoid Hell and announces that he will give his daughter away
to a rich suitor who will save the Kingdom. There is panic in Hell that Lucifer will not get the King to sing the promissory note. and
the traitorous Minister is terrified that he won’t fulfill his side of the bargain to Lucifer and will end up in Hell instead of on the throne. But, unawares, Quido saves the Minister. In order to suck up to the powerful man he betrays the secret affair between the Annie
and Philip. In that moment Hell has won. Lucifer sends „a rich suitor" to the castle and he „accidentally" uncovers the scandalous
contacts between the Annie, a princess, and Phillip, a lowly chef. He takes offence and threatens to compromise Annie in all Royal
Courts. Although the seething King throws Philip out, the situation can no longer be contained. The hope of a marriage for the Princess has disappeared and the King is definitely at the end of his tether. He collapses when „the suitor" surprisingly offers a way out
– puts in front of him the devil’s promissory note. The King realises he has been the victim of a dastardly conspiracy but, as he has
no option, signs.
As soon as Annie finds out that Philip has been thrown out she reproaches her father that he drove out not just a person to whom
her heart belongs but, possibly, a nobleman who could have married her. Upset and angry, she leaves the castle.The unhappy King
realises that he has lost the person closest to him, and that for the one last year of life left to him-- owing to his pact with Hell-- he
will remain all alone.
Annie nor the King nor anyone else knows what has really happened to Philip. He has not just disappeared. When he was packing
his things in the kitchen, he overheard through the dumb waiter a conversation between „the suitor" and the King while they were
signing that fateful parchment, and immediately understood the situation. Taking advantage of praise he received from this this "suitor" for the meal he prepared, Phillip waits for the departure of this devilish assistant, and successfully offers his services in the passageway. He has time to write a message to Annie and give it to Quido. Then, unseen by anyone, he disappears with the devil straight
from the castle walkway and finds himself in Hell. Quido, with other aims to pursue, does not pass the letter to Annie and, so, she is
unaware what Philip is up to. Likewise, Philip doesn’t know that Annie, having left the castle, has ended up with Apollonia at her cottage, where it feels like in an oasis of love and goodness.
When a clearly satisfied Lucifer flies in from Hell’s HQ to pick up the King’s promissory note, he is invited for dinner. He finds it
extremely tasty and becomes interested in this magical cook. So, he looks at his vetting file and sees that Philip has a good character and in every way is an ethically pure Crown Prince who has escaped from his kingdom, the ruin of which was Hell’s responsibility.
Such an odd customer is of interest to Lucifer so, under a ruse that he is borrowing a superb chef, he takes Philip off to Hell’s HQ.
Lucifer, though, has no idea that he has brought to his central fiefdom a person who has decided to search out and confront the
monstrous power which destroyed his father and rest of his family, and forced him to flee his own kingdom as if from a burning
house. Lucifer has no inkling that to his nest he has brought a courageous man who has decided to save the father of his beloved
princess, a man who is too shy to admit to Annie his royal birth until he is able to offer her something more than the fate of a refugee.
On the other hand, Philip has no idea as to why Lucifer has brought him here and with what motives.
Meanwhile, back in the Kingdom, the pact promissary note between Lucifer and the King signed, the castle is suddenly awash with
money. No-one knows where it has come from which gives the King's brother-in-law the opportunity to claim that this new prosperity
is his doing. Everywhere good feelings reign, although the King’s grief deepens. Of course, the gold sovereigns for which he signed
himself away to Hell do not bring the sought-after benefits. They dissapear into the pockets of the Minister and his lackeys and deepen the society’s moral degeneration, but do not eliminate the poverty of ordinary people.
The Minister knows that the Kings’ days are numbered and with his wife is slowly preparing for his accession. He knows, though,
that in his path stands the vanished Annie, the rightful claimant to the throne. And it is clear that this problem will not be solved for
him by Lucifer.
He decides to get rid of Annie and asks Quido to search for her and eliminate her.
The cunning Quido, though, has his own plans at this time. He looks for Annie and, as he expects, finds her with Apollonia. But to
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the Minister not a peep. He is trying to keep Annie for himself. Philip is not around and Quido knows that if the Princess belonged to
him, they would sit on the throne and the Minister could take a hike. He leaks to Annie that the Minister is trying to kill her and
expects Annie’s gratitude. Annie is in a precarious position. She feels that it is too dangerous to refuse Quido out of hand and, so,
she plays for time firmly believing that beloved Philip will soon appear.
Good Apollonia supports Annie’s faith even though, poor thing, she still has constant problems with her garden. At Lucifer’s bidding,
the Minister sends a party of the worst thugs into the forest. Annie, hiding in the loft at Appolonia's, watches with horror as they try
to destroy the garden. Fortunately the garden manages to defend itself. The Minister raves and rants when the scoundrels return as
rabid missionaries of love and peace.
Time flies and Philip plays his role as Lucifer’s cook. Finding his bearings, he visits Lucifer’s study where portraits hang of defeated
kings including those ofhis own father and that of Annie’s. He also notices the fateful parchments of the still-living monarchs, which
lie in special boxes attached to the frames of the paintings. He even sees a map of all the kingdoms where Lucifer has marked the
lands under his control, Philip’s own kingdom among them. Philip understands that Lucifer’s base passion is to hunt kings, press them
into traps and take over their lands with the aim of transforming the whole world into an unending kingdom of evil.
Philip takes a chance and throws the parchments of the living kings into the open fire in order to save them. With horror he sees
that they do not burn. Lucifer catches Philip in the act and gives his explanation: nobody can destroy anything in this Hell, only he
alone. Lucifer is not even angry with Philip, and only laughs in his face.
Lucifer’s calm and proud self-confidence truly knows no bounds. After this incident, he takes Philip to the top of a volcano in
whose innards lies Hell’s HQ, and shows him a barren desert under snow-- a picture of the world-to-be for which he strives-- in order
to show Philip the futility and hopelessness of resistance to evil and Hell’s power.
Philip is surprised by Lucifer’s pleasant behaviour until he realises that the infernal beast sees him as a potential King and that he
is trying to break him. He is trying to prove to Philip that even he is capable of succumbing to temptation, capable of baseness and
surrender to Hell. And that he, Lucifer, is only waiting for his chance to do him in.
That chance occurs the day Philip’s time in the kitchen is to come to an end. Lucifer invites him to his study and shocks him with
an evidently forged contract whereby Philip is meant to serve another nine years. Lucifer carelessly places the contract into a pocket of his elegant coat, throws the coat over a chair, and moves away dressed only in his shirt and braces, as if he's forgotten about
the coat. He is convinced Philip will take his chance and steal the contract, a base and sinful act. When the Lord of Evil returns, the
contract truly is missing from the coat. Lucifer laughs triumphantly. He has won over Philip. He then changes tack, as if it is all a
joke, and asks that Philip gives the forged contract back since, in any case, it is no longer valid and he can destroy it. Philip agrees
and Lucifer throws the parchment into the fire where it immediately starts burning. Lucifer is unaware that he just destroyed Annie’s
father's agreement and that the forged „chef’s" document has found itself in the frame of the King’s portrait.
Philip’s service comes to an end, and a satisfied Lucifer, who is under the impression that he is victorious, prepares to take the
cook back to the Hell from whence he borrowed him, and thence to pay a visit to the King in order to take him away.
That day Quido is putting the pressure on Annie. He divulges what he knows from the Minister, that the King has signed up for Hell
and the time is coming when Lucifer will come for him, which is also when the Minister will try to get rid of Annie. Broken, Annie confides to Apollonia who is aghast and endeavours to undertake a desperate attempt to save a loved one. She uses an agreed signal to
call Lucifer, who has just arrived at the nearby Hell with Philip, and offers him the garden of goodness and love in return for the King.
Contemptuously, Lucifer declines. Hell will soon triumph in this kingdom. Lucifer disappears in order to prepare to personally lead
away the King.
Before that happens, a murderous attack is aimed at Annie. She flees from the murderers as far as the woodcoalman’s place and
hides among the coal stacked on a truck. Along with the black stuff, she is tipped into the storage area of Hell where, fortunately,
two deformed but kind devils are working. They try to smuggle Annie out of Hell but are unsuccessful, Annie is discovered amd flees.
She hides among the sinners and, in all amazement, meets up with a
similarly open-mouthed Philip who saves her and runs with her straight to the castle, using the infernal machine by which the Minister had been sending stolen monies to Hell.
Lucifer, having come for the King, is totally flummoxed when it is shown he has no right to the King, that he doesn’t have the promissory note but, instead, Philip’s out-of.date contract. Lucifer realises that Philip’s act was the opposite of baseness and that it was
a risky move by a courageous person prepared to sacrifice himself for the benefit of others. He is forced to admit defeat, and flies
away, taking with him the Minister to whom Hell has a right following the failure of the whole project.
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And, thus, the story ends. The King will rule again, with kind and wise Apollonia at his side who will, no doubt, bring about new and
better rules in the kingdom whereby the country can begin to recover. We have no doubt that her garden of goodness and love will
help to bring that about. Philip will take home with him the seeds of those magical flowers, and thus be able, with Annie's support, to
struggle for the return of his kingdom from the power of evil.
And what about the traitorous Quido? His shame does not allow him farewells and he flees.
But one more strange surprise: during a village dance, an unknown man with an ass appears at the castle gates. The young man
looks around not understanding, surprised that he sees happy people. Apollonia gently suggests that there is nothing to save people
from any more, so, he can journey with his ass to some other place. The good woman looks lingeringly and thoughtfully after the man
as he disappears. Maybe she made a mistake? Is it possible it was all somehow to be different?
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k o s t ý m y
/
c o s t u m e s
/
k o s t ü m e
Anička / Annie / Anitschka
Kvido / Quido
Apolena / Apollonia
Král / King / König
Ministr / Minister
Matylda / Mathilde / Mathilda
Šašek / Jester / Hofnarr
Lucifer / Luzifer
Urugal
o b r a z o v á
p ř í l o h a
/
p i c t o r i a l
a d d e n d u m
/
b i l d t e i l
fotografie z natáčení / stills / fotos von den dreharbeiten
Anička, Apolena / Annie and Apollonia / Anitschka und Apollonia
Tatiana Pauhofová, Iva Janžurová
Filip / Philip / Philipp
Štěpán Kubišta
Lucifer / Luzifer
Csongor Kassai
Č e r t A z a r a c h / D e v i l A z a r a c h / Te u f e l A z a r a c h
Zdeněk Suchý
Kvido / Quido
Ivan Shvedoff
Hostina u Apoleny / Lunch at Apollonia’s house / Festmahl bei Apollonia
o b r a z o v á
p ř í l o h a
/
p i c t o r i a l
a d d e n d u m
/
b i l d t e i l
n á v r h y
d e k o r a c i
/
s e t
d e s i g n
/
d e k o r a t i o n s e n t w ü r f e
Dům Apoleny / Apollonia‘s house / Apollonias Haus
Hostinec u přívozu / Inn by the ferry / Gasthaus an der Fähre
Peklo / Hell / Hölle
o b r a z o v á
p ř í l o h a
/
p i c t o r i a l
a d d e n d u m
/
b i l d t e i l