Jan Saudek, Czechoslovakia’s most famous living photographer, is the subject of this often-shocking kaleidoscopic biopic by friend and colleague Adolf Zika. With an unblinking eye, Zika chronicles the drama-filled life and work of a controversial artist who, though little-known in the United States, has enjoyed international acclaim throughout his fifty-year career.
Saudek’s hand-painted, sepia-toned portraits have a nineteenth-century veneer but a decidedly postmodern sensibility. Shooting his models both clothed and unclothed, he captures now moments of exhilarating grace, now bizarrely explicit—critics might say prurient—tableaux: A woman in a filmy white gown leads two naked girls into a grim industrial landscape. A haloed baby peers with statements over the brawny shoulders of a naked man. A nude contortionist makes like a flesh pretzel, squatting at the feet of a clothed man in an armchair. Three women dressed like bawdy-house habitués play musical instruments in one image, then appear naked, their expressions giddy and their instruments at rest, in a companion piece.
Also Known As (AKA): Jan Saudek – V pekle svých vásní, ráj v nedohlednu
DVDRip | AVI | 608 x 352 | XviD @ 883 Kbps | 95 min | 700 MB
Audio: Czech MP3 @ 128 Kbps | Subs (srt): English, Portuguese-BR, Czech
Genre: Documentary
