A selection of newly restored 8mm films by Pablo De Sax, Pigi and Mr. Karra will present the partly forgotten film works of the second wave of the Czech underground. The screening will include a series of introductory lectures dealing with the social realities and cultural context of amateur and independent filmmaking in 1980s. Presenters will include: Jiří Horníček (NFA), Matěj Strnad (NFA), Marek Vajchr (Revolver Revue), Martin Čihák (FAMU) and Ondřej Vavrečka (FAMU). The evening is organized in collaboration with Martin Blažíček (FAMU). The discussions will take place in Czech.
The underground films of Pablo De Sax, Pigi and Mr. Karra belong, in addition to amateur and art film, to a third, less known category of independent production from the 1970s and 80s. Typical for this group is their veering away from the public sphere, more towards private and community-based production. This circle of authors, which also includes as a member and initiator Čaroděj OZ (alias Blumfeld SM), assembled during this period an extensive parallel subculture of film studies, festivals, shows and cultural events. In contrast with preceding generation of the underground movement, which was inspired by the American psychadelic culture, the generation of the 80s came out of the era of post-punk and new wave music. Its productions do not aspire to enthrone a confrontational framing of some grand history, but rather they reflect an inner, dystopian state of society, which represents, among other things, the Spartakiad phenomenon, the May the First celebrations, and other public events. This group also represents one of many film groups in the 80s who came out of official cultural happenings, but the fact that we can see these films in their restored form is a unique circumstance.
