Film Screening: Babi Leto (Autumn Spring) August 8, 2007

Babi Leto Comes to the Big Screen at the Avalon
The Avalon Theatre will screen Babi leto (Autumn Spring) on August 8, 2007 at 8 pm, as a continuation of the Lions of Czech Film Series. The series supports future Czech filmmaking and is an opportunity to see the best of Czech cinema in the nation’s capital. All films are in Czech with English subtitles.

Autumn Spring / Babí léto (2001, 95 min., color)
Who says getting old has to be boring? The Czech film Autumn Spring (Babi leto) sets out to prove just the opposite…life is an adventure!

This tragicomedy delves into the life of a youthful 75-year-old man who is an eternal dreamer. Unlike his beloved and overly worried wife, he refuses to reconcile himself to getting older. He lives life as a never-ending challenge in which every day becomes a delightful opportunity for new adventure. He and a devoted longtime friend from an operetta act out their theater roles in real life situations in an attempt to make his dreams come true. The protagonist appears as an emeritus member of the Metropolitan Opera who buys a castle, as a ticket checker, a philanthropist, and even a mountain climber. In a number of funny scenes laced with gentle black humor, he fights with his wife for the carefree and independent ways he uses to demonstrate the ART of LIVING.

Film Awards/Prizes/Festivals:
2002 – Best Film Award at the Cleveland International Film Festival
2002 – Audience Award of the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival
2002 – Audience Choice Award of the St. Louis International Film Festival
2002 – Czech Lion Awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor
2002 – Czech Lion Nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Film and Best Music

Director: Vladimír Michálek
After graduating from Prague’s Film Academy (FAMU), Vladimír Michálek (*1956) worked mainly with foreign filmmakers as an assistant director. During this period, he started directing documentaries and began making feature films in 1989.

Filmography: Autumn Spring (2001), Angel-Exit (2000), Certainty (1999, TV film), The Cards are Dealt from Prague Stories (1999), Sekal Has to Die (1998), Forgotten Light (1996), America (1994)

Starring: Vlastimil Brodský, Stella Zázvorková, Stanislav Zindulka, Ondřej Vetchý, Zita Kabátová, Petra Špalková, Jiří Lábus, Simona Stašová
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DIRECTIONS and TICKETS:
The Avalon Theatre is located at 5612 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20015. Tickets may be purchased at the box office 30 minutes before the start of the show. Advance sales of tickets may be made at the box office only. For more information, call the box office at: (202) 966–3464, or to hear general information about films playing at the Avalon, call: (202) 966–6000.

Tickets prices are: Adult $9.75 / Senior, Student, or Military $7 / Avalon Member Rate $6.50 / Avalon Senior Member Rate $5.50. The closest metro station is at Friendship Heights (about a 15-minute walk to the theater, or approximately a half mile away). The Avalon can also be reached by bus on the L line.

Official Website: http://www.theavalon.org/