Looking for a manor house or chateau? A location perfect for a 1920’s era swimming pool complex? A film-friendly airport? Are you a fan of East Bohemian modernist architecture, by masters such as Josef Gočár? These were among the attractions on our latest location tour, held 25-26 June in cooperation with the East Bohemia Film Office.
Year 1965? Swimming pool complex in Dachova. Year 2019. Photo: Czech Film Commission
This regional Film Office works through the Destination Management organization of East Bohemia and operates throughout the regions of Hradec Králové and Pardubice. The Film Office’s main aim is to attract as many filmmakers as possible to shoot in the area while also promoting film tourism and of course contributing to the promotion of the region as a whole.
Both days of the location tour were quite full and exhausting due to the intense summer heat. But this didn’t bother the filmmakers, who are used to working under pressure and often in extreme temperatures.
In the Pardubice region, we visited the photogenic Choltice chateau, the modern airport of Pardubice, the town of Chrudim and its Karel Pippich Theater, the Hrochův Týnec chateau, Hamza’s sanatorium, and the town of Vysoké Mýto, including an early 20th centuryoutdoor swimming pool complex.
The following day the expedition moved to the Hradec Králové region. There, filmmakers discovered, for example, the charms of the Gallery of Modern Art and the original State Railways headquarters in Hradec Králové designed by Gočár, the 1920s’ era natural swimming pool complex Dachova, the brewery in Hořice, the Sloupno chateau, and the town of Nový Bydžov.
“We always ask location tour participants which sites they liked best. But the answer is difficult when we visit so many different places. Most importantly, each filmmaker comes with different expectations. Some have a specific project in their heads while others are looking for inspiration,” says Czech Film Commission Pavlína Žipková. “East Bohemia offers all a perfect palette of visually striking locations and motifs for virtually every theme. The participants will have a lot to think about, and I believe they will come again soon – this time with their cameras in hand.”
Lucie Ondráčková, the East Bohemia Film Office manager, says about this year’s tour, “We chose a program for filmmakers that could be called an ‘all in one’- because they could see historical locations and towns as well as various places in the countryside. I’m very pleased that they liked the tour, and I hope that they will come to us soon to shoot.”
Contact Lucie for more information about filming in East Bohemia: East Bohemia Film Office, l.ondrackova@vychodnicechy.info, +420 725 702 651