Valerie a týden divu
Encyclopedia
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders ( is a 1970 Czech
film directed by Jaromil Jireš and based on the 1935 novel of the same name
by Vítězslav Nezval
.
The 1970 film adaptation of Valerie a týden divů was shot in 1969 starring the then 13-year-old Jaroslava Schallerová
as Valerie, with a supporting cast of Helena Anýžová, Karel Engel, Jan Klusák, Petr Kopriva, among others. It was filmed in the Czech
town of Slavonice
and surrounding areas. The film portrays the heroine as living in a disorienting dream, cajoled by priests, vampires, men and women alike.
, was released for the first time by in December 2006. Available both on CD and LP, the booklet reveals previously unseen images, international poster designs, as well as notes by Andy Votel
, Peter Hames and Trish Keenan from the band Broadcast
.
Angela Carter
, who had seen the film during its release in England
. Her screenplay for The Company of Wolves
(1984) adapted from Carter's short stories, in collaboration with director Neil Jordan
, bears a direct or indirect influence. A May 2005 Jireš retrospective film series at Riverside Studios
showed the two films together.
In 2006 members of freak folk
acts Espers
, Fern Knight, Fursaxa
and other musicians formed The Valerie Project
. The group performs original compositions in unison with the film.
In their 2008 album, Skeletal Lamping
, the band of Montreal
references this film in the song "St. Exquisite's Confessions".
The Broadcast
album Haha Sound
takes much inspiration from film and its music. Their song "Valerie" is the most obvious example.
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
film directed by Jaromil Jireš and based on the 1935 novel of the same name
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders is a novel by surrealist Czech writer Vítězslav Nezval, first published in 1945. It was made into a 1970 Czech film directed by Jaromil Jireš....
by Vítězslav Nezval
Vítezslav Nezval
Vítězslav Nezval was one of the most prolific avant-garde Czech writers in the first half of the twentieth century and a co-founder of the Surrealist movement in Czechoslovakia....
.
The 1970 film adaptation of Valerie a týden divů was shot in 1969 starring the then 13-year-old Jaroslava Schallerová
Jaroslava Schallerová
Jaroslava Schallerová was a popular Czech film star during the 1970s. Her film debut was at the age of 13 in the Czech New Wave classic Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. Her film career spanned the 1970s and continued intermittently into the 1990s.-Filmography:* Valerie a týden divu ......
as Valerie, with a supporting cast of Helena Anýžová, Karel Engel, Jan Klusák, Petr Kopriva, among others. It was filmed in the Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
town of Slavonice
Slavonice
Slavonice is a town situated in the southwest of Moravia on the border with South Bohemia, Czech Republic, about a kilometre from the Austrian border with about 2,700 inhabitants...
and surrounding areas. The film portrays the heroine as living in a disorienting dream, cajoled by priests, vampires, men and women alike.
DVD
In January 2004 the film became available commercially in the US on the Facets Video label and in June that year the film was released on DVD in the UK by Redemption Films Ltd. In 2006 the film was officially released in the Czech Republic by label CÈV/Bonton. All three releases present the film in the aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Unlike the Facets and Redemption releases, the CÈV/Bonton DVD is not presented with hardcoded English subtitles, but with optional Czech subtitles. British label Second Run DVD released an all-new remastered edition of the film on PAL Region 0 DVD on 25 August 2008.Soundtrack
The film soundtrack, featuring music composed by Luboš FišerLuboš Fišer
Luboš Fišer was a Czech composer, born in Prague. He was known both for his soundtracks and chamber music. From 1952 to 1956 he studied the composition at the Prague Conservatory as a pupil of Emil Hlobil. From 1956 he studied at the AMU in Prague...
, was released for the first time by in December 2006. Available both on CD and LP, the booklet reveals previously unseen images, international poster designs, as well as notes by Andy Votel
Andy Votel
Andrew Shallcross, known by his stage name Andy Votel, is an electronic musician, DJ and record producer, co-founder of Twisted Nerve Records and the reissue label Finders Keepers Records...
, Peter Hames and Trish Keenan from the band Broadcast
Broadcast (band)
Broadcast are an electronic music band, founded in Birmingham, England. Original members were Trish Keenan , Roj Stevens , Tim Felton and James Cargill . Various drummers played with the band, including Keith York, Phil Jenkins, Jeremy Barnes, Steve Perkins, and Neil Bullock...
.
Influence
Many writers have cited similarities between the film and the work of English writerEnglish literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
Angela Carter
Angela Carter
Angela Carter was an English novelist and journalist, known for her feminist, magical realism, and picaresque works...
, who had seen the film during its release in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Her screenplay for The Company of Wolves
The Company of Wolves
The Company of Wolves is a 1984 gothic fantasy-horror film directed by Neil Jordan, and starring Sarah Patterson and Angela Lansbury.The film is based on the werewolf story of the same name in Angela Carter's short story collection The Bloody Chamber...
(1984) adapted from Carter's short stories, in collaboration with director Neil Jordan
Neil Jordan
Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.- Early life :...
, bears a direct or indirect influence. A May 2005 Jireš retrospective film series at Riverside Studios
Riverside Studios
Riverside Studios is a production studio, theatre and independent cinema on the banks of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. It plays host to contemporary and international dramatic and dance performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production.-History:In 1933, the...
showed the two films together.
In 2006 members of freak folk
Freak folk
Freak folk is a genre of folk music associated with contemporary artists such as Faun Fables, Animal Collective, Davenport, Devendra Banhart,CocoRosie, Panda Bear, Kelli Ali, Joanna Newsom, Bowerbirds, Woods, Greg Weeks, Hecuba, Akron/Family, Rio en Medio, Birdengine, Sufjan Stevens, Sean Hayes,...
acts Espers
Espers (band)
Espers is a psych folk band from Philadelphia that is part of the emerging indie folk scene. They formed in 2002 as a trio of singer-songwriter Greg Weeks, Meg Baird and Brooke Sietinsons but later expanded to a sextet including Otto Hauser, Helena Espvall and Chris Smith...
, Fern Knight, Fursaxa
Fursaxa
Fursaxa is a USA-based acid folk or freak folk project led by Tara Burke of Philadelphia. Her home-recordings feature acoustic guitar, simple Casio electronic keyboards, accordion, dulcimer and her heavily overdubbed vocals on a 4-track recorder.She has been making music since childhood...
and other musicians formed The Valerie Project
The Valerie Project
The Valerie Project is a Philadelphia-based psych-folk band. Their first album, released in 2007, is intended to serve as an alternate soundtrack to the cult Czech New Wave film Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. They have also performed live at screenings of the film...
. The group performs original compositions in unison with the film.
In their 2008 album, Skeletal Lamping
Skeletal Lamping
Skeletal Lamping is the ninth studio album by Athens, Georgia-based band of Montreal.Kevin Barnes said about the title: "This record is my attempt to bring all of my puzzling, contradicting, disturbing, humorous... fantasies, ruminations and observations to the surface, so that I can better dissect...
, the band of Montreal
Of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
references this film in the song "St. Exquisite's Confessions".
The Broadcast
Broadcast (band)
Broadcast are an electronic music band, founded in Birmingham, England. Original members were Trish Keenan , Roj Stevens , Tim Felton and James Cargill . Various drummers played with the band, including Keith York, Phil Jenkins, Jeremy Barnes, Steve Perkins, and Neil Bullock...
album Haha Sound
Haha Sound
Haha Sound is the second album by the English band Broadcast. It was released in 2003 by Warp Records. Haha Sound was their first to chart in the United States charting on the Top Electronic Albums. The album was released to critical acclaim....
takes much inspiration from film and its music. Their song "Valerie" is the most obvious example.
External links
- Comparison between CÈV/Boton, Facets, and Japanese DVD release
- DVD Beaver (film review)
- Monsters at Play (film review)
- http://www.cfn.cz/film_picture.php?id=22041 Film stills