Film location - Olbramov and The Painted Bird movie

Wander through the Pilsen Region in filmmakers’ footsteps. The Regional Film Office of the Pilsen Region offers a selection of several locations where current or previous audio-visual pieces were created. With regard to the upcoming premiere of the long-awaited film by Václav Marhoul, The Painted Bird, we are introducing the small village of Olbramov near Planá as the first tip for a film-themed trip.

The Painted Bird will be released in cinemas on 12 September and is highly awaited by the film industry. Its quality is also evidenced by the fact that it was included in the main competition section at the Venice Film Festival before its premiere. Václav Marhoul worked on the development of the film (in the past he directed Tobruk, but you may also know him as an actor in College or Journey to the Woods) for over ten years and he himself acknowledges that people may leave the cinema or collapse during screening. The film focuses on WWII stories and it is about love, hope and the need for affection in terrible times. It follows the story of a lonely boy wandering through Europe, experiencing the atrocities of torture, abuse and rape. The black & white movie, starring world-renowned actors such as Stellan Skarsgard (Mamma Mia, Avengers, Pirates of the Caribbean, Good Will Hunting), Udo Kier (Armageddon, Blade) and Harvey Keitel (Grandhotel Budapest, Pulp Fiction), has only nine minutes of spoken words, despite its final length being almost three hours. The making of The Painted Bird cost CZK 175million, while the Pilsen Region contributed one million to its production last year.

Petr Kotlár in the lead child’s role had to undergo psychological testing and experienced physically demanding moments while soaking in cold water or peat during filming. Forgotten remote locations in Slovakia and Poland have been chosen for the film, but the village of Olbramov near Planá had attracted the filmmakers thanks to its historical profile and landscape character. The landscape around the village with less than 70 inhabitants witnessed a number of historical events, but to this day it has remained undisturbed and has retained its specific character. Its surroundings are interwoven with unique footprints created by nature here. The strongest and invisible feature is its Sudeten history. For example, former farms of the village of Horní Víska are located near the village. There used to be nine homesteads and the place still has a distinctive genius loci. The village itself boasts a contemporary pub and renowned cohesion of local residents. For example, the regular Vendelín Theatre Fair takes place here in October.