Jan Kříženecký facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jan Kříženecký
|
|
|---|---|
Jan Kříženecký in his middle age
|
|
| Born | 20 March 1868 |
| Died | 9 February 1921 (aged 52) Prague, Czechoslovakia
|
| Nationality | Czech |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Years active | 1898–1912 |
Jan Kříženecký (born March 20, 1868 – died February 9, 1921) was a very important Czech filmmaker. He was a pioneer in Czech cinema, meaning he was one of the first people to make movies there. He worked as a film director, a cinematographer (the person who operates the camera), and a photographer.
Contents
Jan Kříženecký: A Czech Film Pioneer
His Early Life and Photography
Jan Kříženecký was born in Prague in 1868. He started studying architecture but did not finish his studies. However, his brother, Rudolf, became a well-known architect.
From a young age, Jan was very interested in photography. By 1903, he became a professional photographer. He worked for the Municipal Building Authority in Prague. His job was to take pictures of old houses that were soon going to be torn down. This helped to keep a record of the city's history.
Starting Czech Cinema
In 1896, Jan Kříženecký saw the Lumière brothers' amazing new invention, the cinematograph, in Prague. This machine could both record and project moving pictures. He was so fascinated that in 1898, he bought his own cinematograph with his friend Josef František Pokorný.
Jan Kříženecký then began showing films to the public. He showed both the Lumière brothers' films and his own short documentary movies. These showings took place at a special pavilion in Prague's Výstaviště during an exhibition in June 1898.
What makes Jan Kříženecký truly special is that he did everything himself. He planned the scenes, directed the actors, developed the film, and even showed the movies to the audience. He was so good that the famous Lumière brothers even bought some of his short films! For many years, until 1908, he was the only professional Czech filmmaker.
Later Years and Legacy
Jan Kříženecký's career as a filmmaker ended in 1912. After that, he worked as a projectionist in different cinemas in Prague. He worked at cinemas like Louvre (from 1912 to 1915), Kino (from 1915 to 1916), and Světozor (from 1916 to 1921).
Sadly, when he passed away in 1921, he was largely forgotten. None of the four Czech film magazines at that time even reported his death. However, his important work was later rediscovered by a film historian named Karel Smrž in the 1930s.
Jan Kříženecký's pioneering spirit has been remembered in other ways too. A character named Kolenatý in the 1978 film Those Wonderful Movie Cranks by Jiří Menzel was based on him. In 2018, the Czech Film Archive released a DVD called Short films of Jan Kříženecký, allowing new generations to see his early works.
Selected Filmography
Here are some of the films Jan Kříženecký made:
Staged Films
- Dostaveníčko ve mlýnici (1898)
- Smích a pláč (1898)
- Výstavní párkař a lepič plakátů (1898)
- Nejlepší číslo (1907)
Documentaries
- Purkyňovo náměstí na Královských Vinohradech (1898)
- Polední výstřel z děla na baště sv. Tomáše (1898)
- Svatojanská pouť v českoslovanské vesnici (1898)
- Alarm staroměstských hasičů (1898)
- Výjezd parní stříkačky k ohni (1898)
- Útok pražského dělostřelectva (1898)
- Poklepy na základní kámen pro pomník Františka Palackého (1898)
- Rychlovlak v Podbabí (1898)
- Defilování vojska o Božím těle na Královských Vinohradech (1898)
- Přenesení kolébky Františka Palackého z Hodslavic na výstaviště (1898)
