Jiří Menzel: "We need to learn from good films"

In the frameworks of The International Film Festival "Message to Man" the workshop of Czech director, actor, writer, owner of Oscar, Jiri Menzel  was held in the University of Film and Television. The cinematographer answered very frankly to all, even the most tricky questions of the audience.

Jiří Menzel  asked the students, just appeared behind the audience:  Do all of you want to make a film?

- Yes, - answered the participants of the workshop.

- Well, then there will be a lot of movies. And I wish you happiness in this. I admire your courage.

The meeting was held in the "question and answer" style. But Menzel replied honestly.

The classic of comedy was asked about high-quality folk comedy. The answer to it was surprisingly simple:

- Everything is very simple. This is a film, which people will come to watch and that you will not be ashamed. But it`s more and more difficult to shoot this movie, because people are accustomed to stupid movies. 

- It`s not necessarily to go to film school. It's a question of your desire, your will. It is important to watch good films and learn from them. We had a professor, our teacher, who began making films before the war. This was a man who taught himself watching good movies. He taught us how to understand the literature, the visual arts and culture, everything that can help to create a movie. You are in an advantageous position. Because he was engaged at the time when there was only one kind of cinema. And now, if you do not like a full-length movie, you can shoot any other kind. You can shoot a five-minute short film. You do not need necessarily to shoot a full-length movie. It is important to be able to create images. God knows what kind of technical capabilities we will have in five years. You need only a grammar to write a base of a film. You need to know the language and the grammar of cinema.

- I have no right to make films on the Russian works. When I was asked to take "The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Soldier Ivan Chonkin" based on the novel by Vladimir Voinovich, I refused, saying that it can only shoot Russian - Menzel said. - But the British producer has persuaded me. I agreed to three conditions: Russian actors should and everything should be in Russian, I want to work with people, who knew how things were during the war, and the picture should be made not in Russia, but in the Czech Republic. Fortunately,there was military base abandoned by the Soviet army not far from Prague.