National Theatre Hosts Golden Prague Again

ZP

Prima ballerina Tereza Podařilová, world-renowned tenor Pavel Černoch and the stellar Bubeníček brothers – those are the foremost Czech artists whose lives will be revealed in films premiering at this year’s Golden Prague International Television Festival. These names are just a few of the draws at the 57th iteration of the festival, which is organised by Czech Television. This event will take place from 23 to 26 September and will be the sixth time that it is hosted at the New Stage of the National Theatre.

Television audiences and festival goers can look forward to a host of well-known names as well as original and, moreover, the newest television productions about dance, music and theatre from around the world exclusively here, under one roof.

The series of gala evenings will open on Wednesday, 23 September, with a real treat: Pavel Černoch a jeho hosté (Pavel Černoch and His Guests), a concert featuring one of the most globally sought-after tenors. Familiar arias from operas by Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Georges Bizet and Antonín Dvořák will be heard as well as famous songs, such as “Con te partirò” by Francesco Sartori and “Non ti scordar di me” by Ernesto de Curtis. Pavel Černoch has invited soprano Kateřina Kněžíková and baritone Svatopluk Sem as his guests. The accompanying Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra will headed by conductor Jan Kučera.

The day after, i.e., on Thursday, 24 September, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the festival will premiere a new documentary by Martin Kubala on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Prague Dance Conservatory entitled Kde se rodí tanečníci (Where the Dancers are Born). We will peer into the workings of the school, which during its existence has produced such celebrities as Jiří Kylián, Ivan Liška, Daria Klimentová and Jiří and Otto Bubeníček. On the same day, at 8:00 p.m., Olga Špatová’s documentary Pavel Černoch – Enfant terrible opery (Pavel Černoch – Opera's Enfant Terrible) will have its premiere. This documentary portrait of Pavel Černoch will reveal the true life of one of today’s most important Czech opera singers. Pavel Černoch is a sought-after tenor by the most prestigious opera houses and concert venues, but also a rebel who lives the way he wants to and refuses to follow someone else’s rules.

The next day, at 6:30 p.m., another documentary by Martin Kubala will premiere: Tereza Podařilová, čas primabaleríny (Tereza Podařilová, The Time of the Principal Dancer). This long-time first soloist of the National Theatre Ballet bid farewell to an active dance career in Autumn 2019, but remained part of the ensemble as a ballet master and is continuing down a teaching path at the Prague Dance Conservatory. We will look at her profession career with a focus on her last role – the Marquise de Merteuil – and her private life, which she kindly opened up to the filmmakers. At 8:00 p.m., the premiere of Srdce tančí (The Heart Dances) will be screened. This film was shot by New Zealand director Rebecca Tansley and focuses on a visit by Jiří and Otto Bubeniček to her homeland to work on their feature ballet adaptation of the romantic film The Piano with the New Zealand Ballet. Both Bubeniček brothers will be at the screening.

Filmgoers can use the festival website to register for all film evenings free of charge.

Exactly one hundred music, dance and theatre films from around the world will be competing against one another and, as is the case every year, shown to festivalgoers free of charge. They will be able to see truly the best television productions created in the last year either via video boxes installed at the venue or on their own devices via local wi-fi.

Partner festival evenings include the ballet performance La fille mal gardée and Verdi’s opera Nabucco at the State Opera.

The 57th annual Golden Prague Festival concludes on Saturday, September 26, with a grand finale – the gala announcement of the results of the competition. The evening will be broadcast online. A five-member international panel of judges will decide this year’s winning films. Representing the Czech Republic will be Czech music manager and television producer Marie Kučerová, who has been the director of the Brno Philharmonic since 2013.

We look forward to seeing you from Wednesday, 23 September, to Saturday, 26 September 2020 at the New Stage of the National Theatre.