Zem spieva

A 1933 masterpiece by Karel Plicka. The film received an award at the International Venice Film Festival as part of a collection of films from Czechoslovakia.

The beginning of the movie is shot in Bratislava -capital of Slovakia.

A documentary of peasant life in the Carpathian Mountains (Tatry) of Slovakia, documenting all four seasons. Rhythmic images going through emotions ranging from the dreamy to the gloomy, but most of all full of joy! Showcasing the rural traditions of the country. This one from the Slovakian side of Czechoslovakia (eastern part). We get religious events, festivities, working and just about everything else relating to village life mixed in a gigantic mood changing montage lasting nearly an hour!

A documentary of peasant life in an isolated village in the Carpathian Mountains of Slovakia, starting in early spring and ending after the harvest. You have to look closely to see signs of the twentieth century.

Very lyrical and painterly, the picture looks as if it was shot for the Czechoslovakian Tourist Authority. Some scenes look staged and mostly the happy side of life there is shown (one title does mention that the men are away looking for work).

Some may also find the tourist shots of Prague that begin the picture interesting.

Shot silent. The reconstructed print comes with a nice symphonic sound track with some singing and folk music. The print I saw at New York's Museum of Modern Art only had Slovakian titles.