My Father George Voskovec

There is no need to introduce the person of Jiří Voskovec in the Czech Republic. In the documentary My Father George Voskovec, this unforgettable actor of Czech theatre and cinematography is seen from the viewpoint of his younger daughter Gigi. She is trying to understand her father's behaviour in sending her and her sister Vicky to an adoptive family at the request of his last wife Christine. Jiří Voskovec migrated to the USA in 1950. However, he was detained on Ellis Island on suspicion of being a communist, for nearly a year. He not only had to fight against the prejudice directed towards immigrants, but also with homesickness, for the rest of his life. In the film, scenes of places connected with the life of the actor are combined with excerpts from the movies and theatre performances in which he acted, for example the legendary Broadway production of Hamlet with Richard Burton. The film is accompanied by captivating jazz music, passages from the book by Ladislav Matějka called Correspondence V+W, and a recording of Voskovec’s voice from the Czech Radio broadcast archive. The directors, Miloš Forman and Andrei Serban, who had long lasting friendships with Voskovec, will talk about the fate of the immigrant in the USA. Light is shed on the unknown parts of the actor’s life through interviews with his closest family members. (Academia Film Olomouc)