Jan Špáta

A znovu Žebrácká opera (1996)

Two different productions of Václav Havel's Beggar's Opera reveal the political dynamics of Czechoslovakia before and after the velvet revolution. ...

Mezi světlem a tmou (1991)

In 1990, filmmaker Jan Špáta headed to the North Moravian border region to join photographer Jindřich Štreit. His social humanist black-and-white images of the most ordinary life situations were close to his heart and offered themselves as a means of b ...

The Greatest Wish 2 (1990)

In 1964, Jan Spáta created his documentary called Nejvetsí prání (1964), an enquette about the desires of the young generation. It was a time of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia and thus also a time of beautiful visons and desires. In 1969, t ...

Máte rádi Smetanu? (1989)

Random people in the street as well as well-known personalities answer the question by Olga Sommerova. ...

Athletic Variation (1983)

Athletic Variations (Atletické variace, 28 min) is a sophisticated essay on winning and losing during the 1982 European Athletics Championships held in Athens. ...

Variations of a Theme by Gustav Mahler (1982)

Documentary short about the title composer, born in what was called "Czechoslovakia" when the film was made. ...

Searching (1979)

Documentary filmmaker Drahomíra Vihanová made a documentary Searching during the filming of František Vláčil's Concert at the End of Summer. The film was made between 1978 and 1979. Rather than a reportage, the film is an observation of the director's ...

Etuda o zkoušce (1977)

Study of the work of the conductor Václav Neumann and his creative process with the orchestra. ...

Fortel (1975)

Crazy Day (1974)

A continuous, extreme show is held, every year, in Tesla Arena in Prague. ...

Il Divino Boemo (1974)

Svítí slunce? (1970)

Země a lidé (1970)

Respice finem (1968)

"A refined film essay about the loneliness, wisdom and humility of old women. The film, most valued by Jan Špáta, was awarded the Grand Prize at the International Short Film Festival in Oberhausen, the Trilobit Award and Special Mention at the IFF in Kar ...

O malém světě (1968)

Mountain People (1968)

The transformation of a traditional Caucasian village in the mountains of Dagestan. ...

Auf der Suche nach dem Glück (1967)

In 8 miniatures, the search for happiness is approached from a different angle. Can you have a guinea pig as a husband? Can horses survive on Venus? How do you live with an alien woman? ...

The Country of St. Patrick (1967)

A Czech documentary filmmaker's cinematic travelogue of Ireland. ...

Reflection (1966)

A leading director of the Czech film renaissance provides a philosophical meditation on life and death, set amidst complex hospital apparatus and the sadness, hope, or resignation of the patients. Existentialist rather than optimist, the approach is one of ...

Pražská strašidla (1966)

Hallo Satchmo (1965)

In 1965, during eminent trumpeter Louis Armstrong's visit to Prague, Jan Spata then a young promising documentary filmmaker, created the report 'Hallo Satchmo'. ...

Moment of Joy (1965)

A study of Czech mountain-climbers, taking place in Adrspach - Teplice Rocks and Prachov Rocks. ...

Psalm (1965)

A synagogue service in Bohemia, where the Torah scrolls are ceremoniously taken out and read, intercut with images of a Jewish cemetery. ...

The Biggest Wish (1964)

Sociological study of the real values of young people in socialism. ...

Vůně benzínu (1964)

Why? (1964)

An exploration of the declining birth rate in the Czechoslovakia. ...

Telefon (1964)

Nádraží (1964)

Railwaymen (1963)

A short documentary about the work of railwaymen and life on the railway. ...

Troubles with Culture (1962)

Visiting the company cafeteria is like going through the nine circles of Dante's Inferno. At least that's how Valoušek, editor of Kulturní noviny, sees it when he unwittingly becomes the protagonist of a social experiment at the local company cafeteria, ...

Stromy a lidé (1962)

In creating the film, Evald Schorm and Jan Špáta took full advantage of the possibilities offered by the Cinemascope format and created a visual poem about the beauty and fate of trees and the simple life of people in the mountains. Dynamically slow, art ...

ELFilm (2003)

A minimalist portrait of ultimate love. ...