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Awards
The main prize Grand Prix Golden Prague was awarded to the French film The Carnival of the Animals. Two Czech Crystals go to the documentary Jiří Kylián: Forgotten Memoirs and Italian film Rigoletto in Mantua. Special mention for extraordinary artistic achievement was awarded to the German programme The Baton.
Audience Award
The Carnival of the Animals
Camera lucida productions (France)
Award of the Dagmar and Václav Havel´s Foundation VIZE 97
Rostropovich: The Genius of the Cello
Crux Productions Limited (United Kingdom)
Reasons:
This documentary of the British director John Bridcut creates a deep, human submergence into the personality and the art of the great Russian violoncellist Mstislav Rostropovich. The film is interestingly enriched with the selected archive materials and, above all, with the spontaneous testimony of his friends, family and former pupils. A very expressive and compelling portrait of one of the greatest artists the 20th century has produced.
Czech Television Award
Jiří Kylián: Forgotten Memoirs
Bel Air Media (France)
Reasons:
In spite of the international fame and acknowledgment it was always with a certain reluctance that Czech choreographer Jiří Kylián refused to approve of the idea of a documentary about his life and work. But the French company Bel Air Media was finally to make a breakthrough. And so we can see in this first, comprehensive documentary Kylián's sophisticated remarks and memoirs, we follow him at work with the ensemble and admire some wonderful excerpts of his masterful creations. All this is achieved by the appreciative and knowledgeable insight of the creative team led by the director Don Kent.
Czech Crystal - Documentary programmes dedicated to music and dance
Jiří Kylián: Forgotten Memoirs
Bel Air Media (France)
Reasons:
This documentary celebrates and reveals the life and work of one of the most important and influential choreographers of our time. Kylián´s language as a choreographer and his views as a human being are deeply rooted in his native Czechoslovakia and shaped by the postwar history of Europe, bringing him from Prague to London, to Stuttgart and the Hague, where he led the Netherlands Dance Theatre for 25 years. The balanced structure, the integrity and the modesty of this intimate documentary portrait brings us close to the personal history, the wonderful irony and the breathtaking craftsmanship of a great artist.
Czech Crystal - Performing Arts (Recordings of opera, operetta, musicals, dance, ballet, concerts etc.)
Rigoletto in Mantua
RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana (Italy)
Reasons:
After Tosca and La Traviata, Rigoletto in Mantua is the third highly successful opera-film produced by Andrea Andermann. This unique genre bridges the world of the live television event with that of the feature film. The cast, with Placido Domingo in the title role is consistently strong. Superb singing, convincing acting, great camera work and the overall atmosphere of the locations result in an impressive and gripping rendition of Verdi´s masterpiece.With a live broadcast in 148 countries Rigoletto in Mantua has succeeded in bringing classical opera to a truly global television audience.
Special Mention for extraordinary artistic achievement
The Baton
AVE Gesellschaft für Fernsehproduktion (Germany)
Reasons:
Every public broadcaster finds itself challenged by reporting cultural events, in the case of The Baton it's a conducting competition.The young team which produced this programme has found an inventive way to do so. A combination of witty animations, reportage and interviews teach us about the art of conducting while never failing to entertain.
Grand Prix Golden Prague
The Carnival of the Animals
Camera Lucida productions (France)
Reasons:
In an age where classical music is often seen as an irrelevant art form aimed at an increasingly aging population it is especially important to produce high quality programmes that might reach a wide young audience. The Carnival of Animals does so in a convincing and delightful way. The choice of repertoire, a piece consisting of short episodes, lends itself perfectly to the medium of television. This programme, composed of a beautifully shot performance and overlaid with lovely light-hearted animation, succeeds in engaging children of all ages.
Complete awards list to download (en / eng, PDF)