“Worthwhile” Weekend: Milos Forman Helps Kick Off Karlovy Vary

Milos Forman (right) arrives at the press conference for his new film “A Walk Worthwhile” with Dasa Zazvurkova and Tereza Halova, two of the film’s cast members. Photo by Peter Knegt.

“Walk” follows Uli and Vanilka, a couple on the verge of divorce. Upon news from Liverpool that Vanilka’s rich Auntie will bestow one million pounds on their future child, the couple decide to make things work.  This decision is complicated by their greedy divorce lawyer, a mysterious postman, and a visit from the Auntie herself - and various capers ensue.  Some of the charm seems lost in translation (which Forman admitted at the press conference, saying the film was made for Czech audiences), but its an inspired and energetic morality tale about money’s corruptive influence.

“It came about in the sixities when no one had any money,” Forman joked. “Now it’s more topical.”

Forman had filmed the musical for television in 1966, two years before he fled to America after he became the target of the Czech communist secret police.  Despite this time frame, Forman told journalists at the festival that “there was not a political aim” to the original production or his television adaptation.

“To be honest we would not have thought about it havng any political connotations,” he said. “That would have got us in a lot of trouble.”

“Theatre was very political because it was not political,” “Worthwhile” writer Jiri Suchy added.

The film’s premiere in Karlovy Vary comes as the festival celebrates the twenty year anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, when Czech’s Communist government was overthrown.  Six films from six different countries - including Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck’s “The Lives of Others,” Juliusz Machulski’s “How Much Does The Trojan Horse Weigh?,” and Helena Trestikova’s “Marriage Stories and Marriage Stories 20 Years Later” - are screening in a retrospective called “20 Years of Freedom.”

Commenting on the state of Czech cinema - essentially brought to a standstill by the fall of Communism - Forman said he believed the country’s long traditions of filmmaking “had stood in good stead.”

“I think that Czech movie making is in good shape,” he said.

As for his own filmmaking? Seventy-seven year old Forman - notorious for long gaps between projects (he has only made four features - “Valmont,” “The People Vs. Larry Flynt,” “Man on the Moon” and “Goya’s Ghosts” - since the Velvet Revolution), said in good humor that he’s been running into some trouble lately.

“In the past ten years I was to shoot three movies and all three were stopped just before shooting,” he said. “Whether from lack of money or intelligence on the producer’s part.”

“A Walk Worthwhile” is being released in the Czech Republic this fall. The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival continues through Saturday, and indieWIRE will be reporting throughout the week.