Jan Šinágl angažovaný občan, nezávislý publicista

I have only been able to find out the footage in meters (1922 m) and the duration of 67 minutes. It was introduced with the caption CRISIS and ended with THE END. Without any other common data? NFA was not even able to tell me the manufacturer, owner or distribution company to which the "specific rules" are bound? I just found out the names of the directors: Herbert Klein, Hanuš Burger, Alexander Hackenschmied, who, as far as I know, were employees of Bata company film studios.

Otherwise, I have to say that NFA staff behaved very politely and professionally. Even more I was appalled by the environment in which the NFA and the treasures of the Czechoslovak and Czech filmmakers are currently found – see 6 photos attached! The Czech Republic uses just a half of the EU grants, often on unnecessary things and projects of which a lot of money is stolen and there is no money left on NFA – such an exemplary profile of a civilized nation.

Just a few more observations on the film:

1) Warning: The purpose of this film seems to be to warn the world (especially Americans) about the dangers of Nazism.

2) Democracy: At one point in the film when scenes in Zlin are being reflected Czechoslovakia is talked about as a country which was the last one in Europe to be abandoned by democracy. It is recalled that the Czechoslovak Constitution had been written under the U.S. Constitution.

3) Compassion: The movie shows how the Czechoslovak people are providing assistance to a large number of displaced foreign refugees.

4) Preparation: Scenes from May 1938 show building defenses and a commitment of Czechoslovakia to defend itself.

5) A Plea for help: In one part, the Czechs ask for foreign aid. In this section they describe how Czechoslovakia could provide weapons and equipment for 40 divisions of soldiers determined to defend their country.

The last thing worth mentioning are special effects used in the film. Special effects were something entirely new in movies in 1939. Few film studios in Europe were able to create sophisticated special effects. Movie studios Bata are located in Kudlova (near Zlin); they were able to create sophisticated special effects at the time at the highest international level. In CRISIS we can see similar effects to the ones used by Bata in their advertising movies. Therefore, it is likely that Bata Company had provided considerable assistance to the filmmakers and ensured the completion of the movie. The company had therefore secretly helped to shoot this documentary. It is also interesting to note that Czechoslovak animated movies which were created in the film studios Bata, following the creation of the movie CRISIS in 1939, started using these effects by one year too. These are logical explanations of sequences of events.

For those interested and skilled in English language, I attach an audio recording of the whole CRISIS movie. It is a pity that the media are full of documentaries about the creation and Nazi crimes, and that public cannot watch this very interesting movie. As a contemporary document it is extremely interesting and instructive, whether by demographic statistics on Czech Germans who would surely surprise many viewers, by their departments where there even Czech workers, by mutual friendship, summer camps for children where Sudeten German and Czech children used to visit each other and where Jiri Voskovec and Jan Werich used to perform as guests. Common demonstrations of Sudeten Germans and Czechoslovaks against Nazism and anti-aggression against a part of Sudeten Germans standing on the side of Germany are also shown. Impressive were also shots of blooming Prague showing varied life, shops, culture, and well-dressed people, which unwittingly forces for comparison with subsequent gray of coming totality.

Of course, the objectivity of the document is far away, especially in relation of the majority of Czech Germans towards Germany, causes and consequences. For instance, the document praises Czechoslovak democracy, but not the fact that in 1935 the Czech Germans won the election, but did not rule thanks to discriminatory electoral law when their deputies needed much more votes than the Czechs. Democracy applied to individuals, but not to ethnic minorities, their parties and associations.

Just a reminder that Jan Antonin Bata was a great patriot, he supported the resistance and the government in exile of Edvard Benes in London, had been considered a collaborator for almost 70 years before deprived of purpose allegations. Again in Brazil, after he had lost almost everything, built industries, cities and was even nominated for the Nobel Prize. Another of our countrymen whom other countries respect more than the native one. Now the descendants of Jan Antonin Bata's family seek the return of wrongfully stolen property and in some Czech and Slovak media his name and legacy are again purposefully vilified with the help of some so-called "historians". I cannot help thinking that those "specific rules" preventing even after 75 years to show this movie to the public, are related to Jan Antonin Bata, and not just marginally. In the original document, he was in Zlin cinema with his wife. In the NFA, I did not notice this while watching. Is still somebody afraid of the truth...?

Jan Šinágl, 26.1.2014