The Secret of Steel City

SAT May 15 5:00 pm Konvikt / film hall / free admission

THE SECRET OF STEEL CITY
Tajemství ocelového města
Czechoslovakia 1978

director Ludvík Ráža
screenplay Ondřej Vogeltanz, Ludvík Ráža
based on the novel by Jules Verne
director of photography Jan Němeček
editor Josef Valušiak
music Luboš Fišer
cast Martin Růžek, Josef Vinklář, Petr Kostka, Jan Potměšil,
Jaromír Hanzlík, Taťjana Medvecká, Josef Somr, Petr Čepek, Vilém Besser


Ludvík Ráža's TV film is a loose adaptation of the famous novel by Jules Verne. It tells an adventurous story of two inheritors of half a billion francs. One of them, Dr. François Sarrasin, builds Fortune City with his half, an ideal community serving the welfare of its population, while Professor Eric Janus erects a huge weapon-making factory in what he calls Steel City. A significant theme found in the original fiction work regarding the conflicting interests of two people with totally different values in life provided filmmakers with an opportunity to create a scenic adventure movie featuring serious moral undertones and a timeless message.


Although Ludvík Ráža's inspirations stem chiefly from Vernesque film adaptations by Karel Zeman, the director attempted to develop his own original vision with particular focus on the technological features of various new inventions. Due to its underlying theme – an all-lethal weapon – though, the film became a contemporary product of the Cold War ideology.