CITIZEN HAVEL (OBCAN HAVEL)

Our Award Winner!

Playwright, poet, essayist and Rolling Stones fan, civil rights defender, politician and revolutionary. Vaclav Havel was one of the leaders of the "Velvet Revolution". After the split of Czechoslovakia in 1992, this former enemy of the state became the controversial new leader of the nascent Czech Republic. His friend, filmmaker Pavel Koutecky, was there with his camera, following him everywhere from the first election in 1992 until his return to civilian life in 2003. A wealth of never-before-seen footage provides us with an intimate look at a man who remained dauntlessly true to his political vision. Thrust into the spotlight of international politics and celebrity and discredited as a "romantic dreamer" by the opposition, he nevertheless transformed the new nation into a free democracy with his mixture of diplomatic tact and self-ironic ease. Whether giving Keith Richards restaurant tips, meeting Clinton in a jazz club or facilitating the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, he always remains resolutely himself, Citizen Havel. This is a faithful portrait of a multifaceted man, a fascinating icon and a passionate politician.

Award: The Outstanding Documentary Film Award, sponsored by BLM, Bavarian Authority for Private Broadcasting, DOK.FEST 2008