Kekec (1951 film)
Kekec | |
---|---|
Directed by | Jože Gale |
Produced by | Dušan Povh |
Screenplay by |
Jože Gale Frane Milčinski |
Based on | Kekec Above the Lonely Abyss by Josip Vandot |
Starring |
Matija Barl Frane Milčinski France Presetnik Zdenka Logar Jože Mlakar |
Music by | Marjan Kozina |
Cinematography | Ivan Marinček |
Edited by | Ivan Marinček |
Production companies |
Triglav Film |
Distributed by |
Vesna film (original) Viba film (current) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
Country |
Slovenia Yugoslavia |
Language | Slovene |
Kekec is a 1951 Slovene/Yugoslavian adventures-youth film directed by Jože Gale. Film was based on the Kekec Above the Lonely Abyss (Kekec nad samotnim breznom), a mountain narrative by Josip Vandot, last of three stories about Kekec, which was published in Slovenian youth magazine Zvonček in 1924. Film was produced by Triglav Film and originally distributed by Vesna film, currently at Viba film. Story is set in northwest part of Slovenian mountains, mainly in author's birthplace Kranjska Gora and Julian Alps.
This is the first in the Jože Gale film series about Kekec and has two sequels: Good Luck, Kekec (Srečno, Kekec!) from 1963 and Kekec's Tricks (Kekčeve ukane) from 1968.
There was more than thousand kids on thi film audition chosen by casting director Ernest Adamič. One of the supporting actors was Slovenian singer Lado Leskovar.
Plot summary
Based on the popular story "Kekec nad samotnim breznom" ("Kekec Above the Lonely Abyss", 1924) by Josip Vandot, story wasn't changed that much from original, but the songs with music in background were totally new. it's set in an idyllic village of the Slovenian mountains where Kekec (Matija Barl), a young boy is living.
High up in the mountains leads his solitary life Bedanec (France Presetnik), a man everybody is afraid of because he is wicked. But the brave boy Kekec is not afraid of him. When he gets to know that Bedanec keeps his victims Mojca (Zdenka Logar) and Kosobrin (Frane Milčinski) in his house, he sets out to find them. With his courage and cunning Kekec manages to set them free, and what's more, he forces Bedanec to leave for good.[1]
Success
This is by the far most popular and successful films in Kekec's film trilogy and one of the greatest films in Slovenian and Yugoslavian cinema history. First Slovenian film with international award, supposedly went to festivals and cinema in over sixty countries all around the world like China, where it hosted in 1957 as part of Yugoslavian film week and Argentina...[2]
Cast
Actor | Character | Description |
---|---|---|
Matija Barl | Kekec | fearless boy and story's main character. Enormous impact in Slovenian popculture |
Frane Milčinski | Kosobrin | a tiny and modest old man with long white beard and hat who is gathering herbs |
France Presetnik | Bedanec | scary and evil wild poacher with long black beard with from the mountains |
Zdenka Logar | Mojca | sister of Rožle, and captured by Bedanec |
Modest Sancin | Mišnjek | |
Lojze Potokar | oče | father from Kekec |
Vida Levstik | mati | mother from Kekec |
Alenka Lobnikar | Tinka | |
Jože Mlakar | Rožle | frightened boy, a friend of Kekec and brother of Mojca |
Drago Zupan | night watchman | |
Fran Lipah | music spelman | playing the simple instrument |
Photo gallery
Shooting locations
Slika | Lokacija | Občina | Opis |
---|---|---|---|
Gozd | Tržič | small village in municipality of Tržič | |
Bedančev konec | Kranjska Gora | the most of the film was shot | |
Savica Fall | Bohinj | shooting just under Savica Fall | |
Mojstrana | Kranjska Gora | they build a small village set | |
Slemenova špica | Kranjska Gora | scene with theme song : "Dobra volja je najbolja" | |
Saint Josef Church | Ljubljana | Scene of Gorge with stream |
Film outtakes
- Matija Barl (Kekec)
- Bedanec and Kekec
- Bedanec
- film poster
- film postcard
Award
This was the first ever international award for a Slovenian feature film. At 13th Venice International Film Festival in 1952, this film won a Golden Lion for the best film in youth category, for kids between ages 11 and 14.[3][4]
Music
The whole music including theme was composed by Marjan Kozina, a Slovenian composer. Lyrics for theme song called "Dobra volja je najbolja" was written by Frane Milčinski and performed by Tomaž Tozon together with Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra.[5]
References
- ↑ "Kekec's 1951 plot from Slovenian Film Fund site in English". Slovenian Film Fund. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
- ↑ "Kekec, slovenski filmski junak, ki je osvojil tudi Kitajsko" [Kekec: Slovenian film hero, who went to China] (in Slovenian). MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- ↑ "Kekec's Tricks in memory of the film father, director Jože Gale" (in Slovenian). MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ↑ "Film was awarded at Venice Film Festival 1952" (in Italian). labiennale.org. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
- ↑ "Tomaž Tozon: Od Kekčeve pesmi do življenjskega priznanja" [Tomaž Tozon: from Kekec's theme song to the life achievement award] (in Slovenian). svet24.si. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kekec (1951 film). |