Jiri MenzelThiruvananthapuram: In film maker Jiri Menzel's opinion art is for entertaining the ordinary folk. "Any work of art is for entertaining ordinary folk," the director stated while saying that he don't see any differences between festival movies and commercial movies.
"I don't agree with the mismatch between festival movies and commercial movies. I don't even able to comprehend this ranking despite being served as the jury of numerous film festivals," Menzel said.
The Oscar winning director received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 21st International Film Festival of Kerala on Friday. Menzel won the Academy Award in 1967 for his first feature film Closely Watched Train. Here are the excerpts from his interview:
Irony, humour and sorrow are the preoccupying themes of your movies. What prompted you to delineate these motifs?
I like depicting men of real flesh and blood. I have been extensively influenced by the eminent Czech writers Bohumil Hrabal and Vladislav Vancura right from the prime of my movie making. I love humorous movies as humor is the be all and end all of my very entity. Closely watched Train is a movie couched in sexual humor. The true poetry of this movie, if it has any, lies not in the absurd situations themselves, but in their juxtaposition with obscenity and tragedy.
Jiri Menzel at IFFK inaugural ceremonyWhat is the major contentment in your life?
Oscar award made me glad. The real matter of ecstasy for me lies in the making of a movie on me by my friend Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.
Do you enjoy watching Indian movies?
I have lot of friends in the vista of Indian Cinema. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur told me to watch Shaukeen directed by Basu Chatterjee. I was stupefied to know that it is the remake of my movie Capricious Summer.
Renowned Czech director Jiri Menzel, 21st IFFK'S Lifetime Achievement Awardee with Honourable Chief Minister Pinarayi VijayanHow do you view IFFK?
I have been to India many times. My yearning to have a glimpse of Kerala is materialized now in the form of this fiesta. I have come with my family to view the scenes, greenery and scenery of green Kerala.
Jiri Menzel with Beena Paul, Artistic Director, IFFK 2016