Karel Vachek

Person

Karel Vachek

Directing August 4, 1940

Tišnov, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]

A controversial filmmaker - a documentary filmmaker of a philosophical nature, whose films have either supporters or opponents. From 1958 to 1963, he studied at the Prague FAMU. A…

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A controversial filmmaker - a documentary filmmaker of a philosophical nature, whose films have either supporters or opponents. From 1958 to 1963, he studied at the Prague FAMU. Already during his studies, he became famous for his filmmaking complexity, high erudition and philosophical-sociological depth of his films, which also led to distaste among some teachers (the school film Kamil Lhoták). He graduated from school with the film Moravian Hellas. It was a polemical reportage from the folk festivals in Strážnice. The film was personally banned by president Novotný. It was only permitted in 1968 and won an award at the Karlovy Vary IFF. In 1968, he made the famous documentary Spřízněni volbou, an artistic documentation of the events surrounding the presidential election (awarded at the Oberhausen IFF in 1969). After that, Vachek was unable to film again. He worked as a screenwriter in Krátký film Praha, but none of the scripts were realized. In 1979 he emigrated to the United States. After 1989 he returned and made 7 feature-length documentary novels that deal with a variety of topics. These films are distinguished not only by their exceptional length, but also by their deep thoughtfulness and philosophical nature. From 1994 until his death he taught and also headed the Department of Documentary Filmmaking at FAMU.

Filmography

Movies and shows, newest first

  1. 2023
  2. 2021
  3. 2019
  4. 2016
  5. 2011
  6. 2011
    Experience of an Exorcist

    Movie Dramaturgy

  7. 2009
    Golden Sixties

    TV show Self

  8. 2006
  9. 2003
  10. 2000
  11. 1996
  12. 1992
  13. 1977
    New flat

    Movie Story

  14. 1968
    Elective Affinities

    Movie Story

  15. 1966
    Floods

    Movie Director

  16. 1964
    Moravian Hellas

    Movie Story

More credits
  1. 1962
    Suffering

    Movie Assistant Director

  2. 1960
    Malíř Kamil Lhoták

    Movie Director