Director Karel Kachyňa’s death anniversary and 100 years since his birth

Karel Kachyňa while working on the film Prima sezóna

His filmography includes over 70 titles. After graduating in 1951 in cinematography, not directing, at the Film Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts, he began shooting documentaries. In 1995, Karel Kachyňa received the Czech Lion for his long-term artistic contribution to Czech cinema. On this occasion, he reconciled with Jiří Menzel, with whom they were arguing over the right to film Hrabal’s novella I Served the English King. In 1999, when he accepted the award for contribution to film at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, people stood and applauded for long minutes. “It took the wind out of my sails,” admitted the director, who was filming almost until his last breath.