| Valerie a týden divů | |
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Original Czech film poster |
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| Directed by | Jaromil Jireš |
| Produced by | Jirí Becka |
| Written by | Vitezslav Nezval (novel) Jaromil Jireš (screenplay) Ester Krumbachová (screenplay) Jirí Musil (dialogue) |
| Starring | Jaroslava Schallerová Helena Anýžová Karel Engel Jan Klusák Petr Kopriva |
| Music by | Lubos Fiser |
| Distributed by | Janus Films (US release) |
| Release date(s) | 1970 1974 (US release) |
| Running time | 77 min. |
| Language | Czech |
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (Czech: Valerie a týden divů is a 1970 Czechoslovakian surrealist film directed by Jaromil Jireš and based on the 1935 novel of the same name by Vítězslav Nezval.
The 1970 film adaptation of Valerie a týden divů was shot in 1969 starring the then 13-year-old Jaroslava Schallerová as Valerie, with a supporting cast of Helena Anýžová, Karel Engel, Jan Klusák, Petr Kopriva, among others. It was filmed in the Czech town of Slavonice and surrounding areas. The film portrays the heroine as living in a disorienting dream, cajoled by priests, vampires, men and women alike, and blends elements of fantasy and horror films.[1]
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In January 2004 the film became available commercially in the US on the Facets Video label[2] and in June that year the film was released on DVD in the UK by Redemption Films Ltd. In 2006 the film was officially released in the Czech Republic by label CÈV/Bonton. All three releases present the film in the aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Unlike the Facets and Redemption releases, the CÈV/Bonton DVD is not presented with hardcoded English subtitles, but with optional Czech subtitles. British label Second Run DVD [3] released an all-new remastered edition of the film on PAL Region 0 DVD on 25 August 2008.
The film soundtrack, featuring music composed by Luboš Fišer, was released for the first time by [4] in December 2006. Available both on CD and LP, the booklet reveals previously unseen images, international poster designs, as well as notes by Andy Votel, Peter Hames and Trish Keenan from the band Broadcast.
Many writers have cited similarities between the film and the work of English writer Angela Carter, who had seen the film during its release in England.[5] Her screenplay for The Company of Wolves (1984) adapted from Carter's short stories, in collaboration with director Neil Jordan, bears a direct or indirect influence. A May 2005 Jireš retrospective film series at Riverside Studios showed the two films together.
In 2006 members of freak folk acts Espers, Fern Knight, Fursaxa and other musicians formed The Valerie Project.[6] The group performs original compositions in unison with the film.
In their 2008 album, Skeletal Lamping, the band of Montreal references this film in the song "St. Exquisite's Confessions".
The Broadcast album Haha Sound takes much inspiration from film and its music. Their song "Valerie" is the most obvious example.