Karel Vachek

Directing·Aug 4, 1940·Tišnov, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]

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A controversial filmmaker - a documentary filmmaker of a philosophical nature, whose films have either supporters or opponents. From 1958 to 1963, he studied at the Prague FAMU. Already during his studies, he became famous for his filmmaking complexity, high erudition and philosophical-sociological depth of his films, which also led to distaste among some teachers (the school film Kamil Lhoták). He graduated from school with the film Moravian Hellas. It was a polemical reportage from the folk festivals in Strážnice. The film was personally banned by president Novotný. It was only permitted in 1968 and won an award at the Karlovy Vary IFF. In 1968, he made the famous documentary Spřízněni volbou, an artistic documentation of the events surrounding the presidential election (awarded at the Oberhausen IFF in 1969). After that, Vachek was unable to film again. He worked as a screenwriter in Krátký film Praha, but none of the scripts were realized. In 1979 he emigrated to the United States. After 1989 he returned and made 7 feature-length documentary novels that deal with a variety of topics. These films are distinguished not only by their exceptional length, but also by their deep thoughtfulness and philosophical nature. From 1994 until his death he taught and also headed the Department of Documentary Filmmaking at FAMU.

Film	Credit
Communism and the Net, or the End of Representative Democracy2019 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Obscurantist and His Lineage or The Pyramids' Tearful Valley2011 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
ZZáviš, the Prince of Pornofolk Under the Influence of Griffith's Intolerance and Tati's Monsieur Hulot's Holiday or the Establishment and Doom of Czechoslovakia (1918-1992)2006 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
WWho Will Watch the Watchman? Dalibor, or the Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin2003 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
BBohemia Docta or the Labyrinth of the World and the Lust-House of the Heart (A Divine Comedy)2000 · Actor, Screenplay, Director	Actor, Screenplay, Director
WWhat Is to Be Done? A Journey from Prague to Ceský Krumlov, or How I Formed a New Government1996 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
NNew Hyperion or Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood1992 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Elective Affinities1968 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
FFloods1966 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
Moravian Hellas1964 · Screenplay, Director	Screenplay, Director
MMalíř Kamil Lhoták1960 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay