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MILAN KUNDERA: FROM THE JOKE TO INSIGNIFICANCE

MILAN KUNDERA: OD ŽERTU K BEZVÝZNAMNOSTI

By Milos SMIDMAJER

BIO ILLUSION - as PROD

Biography - Completed 2021

the only documentary about Milan Kundera's legacy

- Year of production
- 2021
- Genres
- Biography, Documentary
- Countries
- CZECH REPUBLIC
- Languages
- CZECH, FRENCH
- Budget
- 0 - 0.3 M$
- Duration
- 52 mn
- Director(s)
- Milos SMIDMAJER
- Writer(s)
- Miloš ŠMÍDMAJER, Jakub VANSA
- Cast
- Milan KUNDERA, Věra KUNDERA, Bernard HENRI-LÉVY, Leonard HÄDLER-STIRSKÝ, Antoine GALLIMARD, Yasmina REZA, Jean-Paul ENTHOVEN, Guy SCARPETTA, Florence NOIVILLE, Jean-Claude CARRIÉRE, Jiří BARTOŠKA, Milan UHDE, Tomáš KUBÍČEK, Sylvie RICHTEROVÁ, Mojmír JEŘÁBEK, Karel STEIGERWALD, Karel FUKSA, Jan KAČER, Lakis PROGUIDIS, Alain FINKIELKRAUT, Massimo RIZZANTE, Jakub ČÉŠKA, Nicolas BRIANÇON
- Synopsis
- Why were Milan Kundera's books so successful all over the world? Why did he move to France and started writing in French? What is behind the fact that Kundera banned his French books from being translated to Czech? Why does he avoid publicity?
  This documentary analyzes all aspects that influenced Kundera during the creation of his books, including his life in Brno, the time when he studied and then taught on FAMU in Prague, the era of "normalization" when he was prohibited from publishing despite the huge success abroad.
  
  In mid 70s, Kundera accepted an invitation from Rennes University to be a guest professor for a year. In 1979, Czech government took away Kundera's citizenship. Kundera commented this: "At the time, everything was ruled by the russians and it was the russians who decided that I am no longer a Czech". French president Mitterand gave Kundera a French citizenship.
  
  Kundera published his best-known novel "The Unbearable Lighteness of Being" as a French writer. The book was adapted into a film - but after the film's release, Kundera never allowed another film adaptation of any of his books.