Jan Saudek: Trapped by His Passions, No Hope for Rescue (2007) - full transcript
The film provides a personally truthful yet harsh life story of a hero and dropout. The world-renowned photographer Jan Saudek, winning international awards and being exhibited abroad long before he had gained recognition in his native country, appears in many roles in front of the camera. Often changing them, he surprises or even shocks. Nevertheless, even the best illusionist is incapable of hiding from three cameras and the unmerciful eye of the director. War, suffering, losses, blind love, dreams of a family, the intangible glory of fame, poverty, condemnation, lack of appreciation counterbalanced by wealth and sky-high freedom in the unstoppable aging process. This and much more is portrayed in this riveting documentary film about the life and work of the most famous Czech photographer.
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.