"What is the film about?" "I've called the film, and I purposely say "film"" "and not a documentary - a somewhat truthful film " ""Jan Saudek" " Trapped by his passion, no hope for rescue", and I called it somewhat truthful for a very prosaic reason." "And that is I don't consider it a classical documentary." "I'm not educated in film making and I didn't want to follow the classical documentary filming methods," "I tried something new so it would be entertaining for TV viewers, but mainly cinema viewers." "The term "somewhat truthful" is a term I always liked as it was used in lyrics by one famous Czech artist." "The term says we could have shown the truth about Jan Saudek, but also could stay far away from it." "The film is my view of Jan Saudek's world." "And the way it was filmed follows the pattern of the way he lives." "How would you describe the film?" "It is a film for a wide range of audiences, not for a few special interests." "My father's opinion is proof of that." "He never fancied Jan Saudek and he was not positive about me shooting the film, but after he saw the film, he stood up and said he enjoyed it, and that it had changed his opinion of Jan Saudek." "For me, that means more than any other possible award." "Are you satisfied with the film, now that it is finished?" "I would do it a bit differently if I could film it again." "It is my nature that I am never satisfied." "However, I am satisfied with what we've chosen from 60 hours of film." "We could have made it more controversial, or with more mysterious appeal for intellectual critics, but instead, we wanted it to be enjoyable and understandable for common people, and that's what we did." "But I can not say I'm totally satisfied, because I would do it a bit differently if I could film it again." "But I like the way we managed the editing." "Why Jan Saudek?" "Was that planned?" "I had been fascinated by Jan Saudek from the moment I entered the world of photography." "The main reason was that I always wanted to see longer films about him." "There were already a few short films and a very good French documentary." "But all of them just short films about 20 minutes long." "So I decided to produce a full-length feature myself." "As I searched for a director, I could not find one because it's not easy to find someone who can stand being around Jan for two or three months." "So I had to direct it myself." "Do you find Jan Saudek's work impressive?" "It is not his work that impresses me." "Of course the photographs fascinate me, but I'm impressed by Jan Saudek's entire life." "It's important to mention that it is not only Jan Saudek, or his work." "Together they become almost something like a phenomenal circus." "What was the most difficult part of this documentary?" "The most difficult was when Jan stopped communicating twice." "I didn't know how to reach him and I became very stressed, but Sara helped a lot." "Some see her as a negative figure in the film but I don't agree." "She acts naturally and honestly." "The trouble was that Jan would not answer phones and I could only leave messages with his assistants." "The next most difficult was when I had to handle all the executive administrative duties after doing the actual shooting and production." "You are also the film's producer." "How do you feel about a producer's position in the Czech Republic?" "It is interesting that most journalists have no interest in that." "I feel we accomplished something highly interesting." "A film that cost a few Crowns and is distributed to a large number of cinemas and we managed it with only a small staff to work on it." "I was the executive producer, producer, director, and screenplay writer, but there were other very capable members of the team." "Assistant directors, cameramen, film editors, etc..." "I think that is a good way to shoot independent interesting films in the Czech Republic - not burdened by huge productions, because we're not in Hollywood." "What were your primary intentions as a cameraman on this film?" "My primary intention was to make a full-length feature documentary about Jan Saudek, using film technology, so as to be as unobtrusive as possible with technical processes and not bother Jan Saudek in his atelier." "We used high resolution HDV format in combination with film lenses because we knew we were working on a film that would be eventually screened on a filmstrip in cinemas." "The filming wasn't much easier than if shot by classic film technology." "For example, as a condition to preserve the true atmosphere of the atelier, we used the actual lighting combined with our production lighting, to provide the correct exposure we needed." "Although it could have been filmed documentarily, as a usual documentary, we have done it most professionally." "We used two cameras, color and black-and-white, which we had to synchronize together." "It might appear the filming was simple, but it was highly professional - as regards the cameras, lighting, and sound." "How did you get along with Adolf Zika, who is also a photographer, during the shooting of the film?" "I had already worked with Adolf Zika on commercials and music videos before we began filming the feature-length documentary." "We were already used to each other." "Sometimes it can be difficult to empathize with a photographer, in this case two photographers, but I knew what to expect." "With the previous experience of working with Adolf, our cooperation on this feature-length documentary went smooth as well." "Adolf and Jan Saudek each had their own concrete visions about how they wanted the scenes and the film to be and my job was to bring it to reality." "Mainly the director's visions of course, but even Jan would look closely at shots every so often to see how he looked on them." "He was always satisfied." "Do you think now is a good time for documentary films?" "I was just looking at the IMDB and saw they were featuring six or seven new feature-length documentary films produced in America." "Yes, this is a good time for them." "Thanks to digital technologies, documentaries have come closer to people." "There are now a lot more opinionated documentaries, interesting projects and a lot more distinctive filmmakers coming out." "What were your first thoughts in the cutting room?" "My first thoughts were that it was going to be a tough job." "I also knew it was going to take a long time to cut through all the material, and I was afraid we would sink in all of it but we haven't!" "Would you say that the chemistry in the cutting room between the makers was productive to the film?" "I say it was absolutely necessary and important." "Each of us had our own opinion, and when all our ideas came together, and we managed to reach agreements, it was the best way to a positive accomplishment." "You are originally a sculptor." "How did you get around to composing music for the film?" "I have always composed music." "Adolf Zika, the director, is my long and dear friend and we have actually already worked on some music together previously." "He heard some of what I have done and said it was suitable for his film." "I thought to myself, why not, it was a great opportunity." "So I agreed to put it in the film." "And I think it goes with the film excellently!" "Does Jan Saudek's work impress you?" "I like his photos." "He is a very inspiring person and a very inconsistent person as well." "I believe I have an idea what may be going on inside him and that the film is uncovering just a bit." "He certainly inspires me a lot." "What is your opinion of the entire film's music?" "I have not known Claus Grabke before but I've done research about him and now I can say he is a very proficient musician." "Mr. Laco Deczi is a top-category star." "I do not make my living with music, but his music is what I listen to at home" " I like it very much." "I have been to a few Krucipüsk band concerts and they were outstanding, it was my kind of thing!" "I like how the music is used in the film - at the appropriate place and precisely the right moment." "Excellent!" "Do you plan on committing to further music composition for films in the future?" "Sure, if I have the opportunity." "I truly believe that film music, music in association with a visual message, is very forceful." "If it works out for me again, I would be very lucky and will gladly hop over to composing music for films." "What is different about the film from a film maker's aspect?" "Has the film brought about any new revelations or procedures for you?" "I think the innovative thing about the film is that it is somewhat truthful, and not a usual documentary." "It is kind of a director's invention to add special features to the documentary, and I believe that worked out very well." "How was it for you, as a director, to now work on the film as a cameraman instead?" "The work was interesting for me as I could watch others on the set and I think I've learned a lot from them." "The cooperation was excellent." "As a director yourself, did you ever feel like you wanted to guide Adolf Zika during the filming?" "I don't think there was ever any need to guide Adolf, although he is a photographer and this was his first time as a director." "I never felt a need to guide him." "He was always well prepared and followed his visions precisely." "We consulted about many things later in the cutting room - as a trio of Karel Coma, Adolf Zika, and I." "You are a successful American businessman with an impressive career in your field in the US." "Weren't you worried that an investment in a Czech film might put you at risk?" "Doing business in the Czech Republic sometimes has that effect." "Many people run into problems here." "After my return I gave it a lot of thought," "I was telling myself that I have no idea what I'm getting into, wondering if I might have to eventually sell some planes or cars, or my race-cars, or the condominium in Florida, or the house and ships." "And then I thought that Adolf could not be this demanding and that the money would not just evaporate, just like everything else does." "And when we finally agreed on a certain amount with Adolf," "I was really relieved, because it was simple as that, and when we shook hands on it," "I was absolutely sure that Adolf would keep to the budget." "And he really did." "So I was really glad that I didn't have to sell any of my toys nor give up my hobbies in the end." "Does it mean that you were actually surprised by the final amount you invested in the film?" "Firstly, I was extremely surprised by the amount alone, secondly, I was surprised that the film kept its word and stuck to the budget on a very good level." "There was a time though, when a new catering assistant joined the team and she got herself started, she kept buying chorizo instead of the cheaper bologna, so we exceeded the budget by a couple of thousand," "but Adolf quickly put an end to it and returned to saving, as he did from day one." "For most of the filming and the post-production you were in the US." "When did you first see the film?" "I watched the first decent copy." "The form was there, but it was longer, the sound wasn't perfect, the colors were different from what they are now." "I watched it on a boat in Italy, where I met with Adolf and his wife." "It was great even in this rough version, and I knew at once that it would be a great success and that it would be an amazing documentary." "Even though I liked it the way it was," "Adolf kept on insisting that it still could be better." "So that's when I watched the film for the first time and I enjoyed it a lot then." "You met with Jan Saudek a few times during the filming." "What was he like?" "He was very nice." "I wasn't sure what to expect of him." "I didn't know much about him, about his riots here, about all his usual pranks." "I only came to know him really well in person and he made quite an interesting impression on me, it was nice talking to him and I think we instantly took to each other because I live in America and he visited America and likes the country very much." "He even wrote me a very nice letter, which I have as a keepsake, with a beautiful hand-painted envelope." "I think our next meeting with Jan will be wonderful and I am really looking forward to it."