Aňa Geislerová in the movie Prezidentka
Actress Anna Geislerová is one of the most gifted Czech actresses, so it’s no surprise that film offers keep pouring in. A few years ago, the director Rudolf Havlík also chose her for his film Prezidentka. But as Geisler said with a laugh, the main reason behind her casting was the directors’ fear.
The Czech romantic comedy Prezidentka tells the story of the politician Katerina Čechová, who aspires to become the head of state. She soon succeeds in this, but the president begins to realize that she has completely lost her privacy and practically cannot even go to the toilet without bodyguards. That’s why he decides to leave his strictly guarded apartment in disguise in the evening and goes on a nighttime wander through Prague.
The film was released in cinemas in 2022, but its director Rudolf Havlík stated that he had plans to shoot the film already in 2016. And from the first moment he was absolutely clear about who should portray the president – he could not imagine the comedy without Anna Geislerová in the main role.
Disagreements and arguments
“We didn’t even consider anyone else. Aňa is a bulldog, she has an incredible will and is very direct, open and capable of asserting her opinions. I really enjoy these qualities of hers. How many times do we disagree, but Aňa knows how to argue things out and always tries to behave as, in my opinion, the head of state should behave,” said Rudolf Havlík after the filming of the film.
However, the actress herself does not quite agree with the words about the bulldog. “I don’t know if I’m just a bulldog, bulldogs are more persistent, I’m more of a stickler. But at the same time, I am willing to back down if someone convinces me. And if not, I stand by myself. I appreciate Rudo’s way of going his own way,” the actress said.
Is afraid of me!
At the same time, Anna Geislerová kind of stands behind the fact that the director cast her not only because she exudes respect, but also fear. “He’s afraid of me! I think I sound authoritative to him, but at the same time we were enjoying the shoot, fooling around and making up jokes. It was fun, even when we were filming Tales for Emu together,” Anna Geislerová smiled.
Her character gets together with an artist played by Ondřej Vetchý in the film Prezidentka. And working with him was a wonderful experience for the actress. “He is always wonderful to work with. Ondra is a really specific person, authentic in everything he does. At the same time, she knows how to encourage and calls me Geislerko. I’m fine with him. During filming, we walked around Kampa together and I thought to myself: If the two of us were a real presidential couple, we would actually be ideal in those roles. I would be the not very approachable one and he would be the approachable and warm one who is not afraid to talk to people. We would complement each other wonderfully. He would be a great first man,” Anna Geislerová sang odes to Ondřej Vetchý.
