Yes, the Prague film school comes from Prague and its prestigious FAMU. However, this article isn’t about the school itself. It’s about the so-called Prague film school movement, which is also known as the Czech film school or Prague Wave.
Here, we’ll address all five Yugoslav directors who made and were recognized for this wave. Still, before we begin, let’s define the Prague film school.
What Is The Prague Film School?
It’s a film wave that consists of five Yugoslav directors who became recognized in the 70s after graduating from FAMU. They were all born from 1944 to 1947. These five filmmakers are Goran Markovic, Rajko Grlic, Goran Paskaljevic, Lordan Zafranovic, and Srdjan Karanovic.
These five are the frontrunners, but there are other filmmakers who are also sometimes considered part of this wave. Some of them later, like Emir Kusturica, even though he was born in 1954. Lordan’s brother, too, editor Andrija Zafranovic, who worked both with him and with Emir. There are also several cinematographers connected to these directors. Vilko Filac worked with Emir, Predrag Popovic worked with Markovic and Lordan, while Zivko Zalar worked with Markovic, Grlic, and Karanovic. Others include Pavel Grzincic and Valentin Perko.
Who and What Influenced The Prague Film School?
They were all mostly influenced by filmmakers of the Czech New Wave. This is logical because they all studied at FAMU at the end of the 60s and the beginning of the 70s. Some of their biggest influences include Elmar Kos, Milos Forman, Jiri Menzel, Jan Kadar, etc. Of course, the 68’ Warsaw Pact invasion of the country and the Prague Spring also highly influenced this group.
Still, some of these five directors have noted that this wasn’t a classical film movement, except that they all studied at FAMU in Prague simultaneously. Markovic even wrote a book, ‘’The Czech School Doesn’t Exist.’’ Karanovic has said that he learned a lot in Prague and became close with the rest of the Yugoslav directors. He also loves their films, but their work should be seen individually and not as part of a wave or any group.
This movement can be explained similarly to the Grunge movement in music. For instance, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana were part of and became known significantly because of the Grunge movement. However, if you analyze their music, you’ll notice that it’s very different.
Nevertheless, there’s an evident connection that left a mark, so let’s see which movies are considered to be part of this wave.
First Prague Film School Movies That Marked the Beginning
Here’s a list of the first films that marked the beginning of the so-called Prague Wave and its initial recognition:
- Us from Prague (Mi iz Praga) – Rajko Grlic made it as a student, which marked the beginning of the unfolding of the Prague film school in 1968. t’s his first professional TV documentary, which shows the relationships among the Yugoslav film students at the school. Goran speaks about him and Karanovic being the first at FAMU, motivating the rest of them to follow their steps.
- Sunday (Nedjelja) – It’s the first feature film made by Lordan Zafranovic. Interestingly, Goran Markovic plays the lead role.
- Drustvena Igra – A comedy drama directed by Karanovic, for which he wrote the screenplay with Grlic.
- Whichever Way the Ball Bounces (Kud puklo da puklo) – Vice versa, this film was directed by Grlic while Karanovic wrote the screenplay with him and Alex Koenigsmark.
The films above were undoubtedly critically accepted and praised by various modernism-influenced film critics. But, they still weren’t accepted by mass audiences, especially not from Yugoslavia.
Prague Film School Films That Made the ‘Wave’ Popular
The story took a different turn in the second half of the 70s. Critics coined the term that brought them together publicly after the directors began to achieve success at various international and Yugoslav film festivals. This success also brought them wide recognition and fame.
Here are some of the crucial movies and TV shows:
- Grlom u jagode – Written by Karanovic and Grlic, and directed by Karanovic. This TV series became extremely praised and popular in the former Yugoslavia. It still has a cult status among audiences.
- Special Education (Specijalno vaspitanje) – Markovic’s debut movie. It was shown in over 50 countries, won the FIPRESCI awards at IFFMH, and received several awards at the Pula Film Festival. The lead role is played by Bekim Fehmiu, who does an incredible job.
- Beach Guard in Winter (Cuvar plaze u zimskom periodu) – For this film, Paskaljevic won awards at Berlinale, Pula, and got a Gold Hugo nomination at the Chicago International Film Festival.
- Occupation in 26 Pictures (Okupacija u 26 slika) – Lordan Zafranovic’s movie, which won several awards at Pula and was nominated for Palme d’Or at Cannes.
- Bravo Maestro – Directed by Grlic and co-written by Grlic and Karanovic. It won several awards at Pula, including Best Cinematography for Zivko Zalar. It was also nominated for Palme d’Or at Cannes.
- Fragrance of Wild Flowers (Miris poljskog cveca) – Directed by Karanovic and co-written by Karanovic and Grlic. It won the FIPRESCI award at Cannes and several Pula awards. Interestingly, Zivko Zalar also won for Best Cinematography.
- The Dog Who Loved Trains (Pas koji je volio vozove) – Made by Paskaljevic. It was praised at both the Berlinale and the Pula Film Festival.
Final Words on The Prague Film School ‘Wave’
Even in the 80s, various successful movies and directors were connected with the Prague Wave, including Emir Kusturica, who came after these five directors. Most of them were widely recognized by audiences and film critics.
It may still be unclear whether it should be called a film wave or not. Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that Markovic, Grlic, Paskaljevic, Zofranovic, and Karanovic left a massive mark on worldwide cinema.
We’ve come to the end of this article, so now it’s time to watch these directors’ movies!
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