Robert Buchar

Robert Buchar is an American cinematographer, filmmaker, film director and producer, born in 1951 [1] in Hradec Králové, former Czechoslovakia.

In 1966 he came to Prague to study photography at the Secondary School of Graphic Arts, and cinematography at FAMU, the Film Academy of Fine Arts, where he graduated as M.F.A. in 1975. He worked as a cinematographer mainly for the documentary section of Krátký film, before defecting to the United States in 1980. There he worked as a cameraman for CBS until 1989, photographed over twenty films and documentaries in the U.S. and Europe. He also works as director of photography on independent films and commercials.

Since 1989 he teaches cinematography at the Columbia College in Chicago, where he became head of the Cinematography Concentration, the faculty's cinematography program, an advanced production course he developed.[2][3]

Documentary features

Velvet Hangover

His, and David Smith's, feature-length documentary film Velvet Hangover about the Czech New Wave and the Czech film industry before and after the Velvet Revolution was screened in film festivals around the world. Some of the critics' appraisals:

“ ...an intriguing historical document which charts the state of Czech cinema in the sixties, under the years of Normalisation in the seventies and eighties, and its encounter with the new economic "liberalism" of the nineties...[4] ”
“ ...a long-overdue doc on that dark period and the perceived post-1989 Velvet Revolution industry doldrums...lengthy and composed primarily of talking heads, pic is riveting across the board: Human rights advocates and fans of true-life underdog tales will be as enraptured as students of Eastern European cinema...a must for fests, tube and vid...a veritable gold mine of behind-the-scenes info on the fates of various New Wave filmmakers in two distinct periods...[5] ”
“ ...archly-titled anatomy of Czech film, past and present...recollections...frank commentary from the directors and cinematographers themselves...a riveting document...all remarkably articulate and offer their convictions eloquently, in an understated way...Fourteen prominent figures, young and old...Some are angry, some melancholy. They reminisce: they muse; they judge; they tell personal anecdotes...Velvet Hangover compels...the filmmakers raise issues that are universal. Should film entertain or bear some moral purpose? Can film communicate ideas? Should contemporary themes be a focus?...generated passionate reactions among Czech officials and the media...trouble getting [the film] aired or shown theatrically, although it has been making the rounds at festivals and film clubs...national television asked Buchar to take out Milota's unflattering remarks about President Václav Havel. He refused. Outrage over a seeming return to censorship finally forced Czech TV to air the film...[6] ”

Featuring in Velvet Hangover (in alphabetic order):

The Collapse of Communism – The Untold Story

Currently (November 2009) Buchar's another documentary The Collapse of Communism – The Untold Story[7] is in postproduction. According to some critics, it showcases the KGB's orchestration and management of the breakup of the Soviet Union. According to some critics, it promotes a conspiracy theory that the fall of communism in Eastern Europe was a hoax.[8] Buchar's own view (supporting his critics):

“ Our witnesses testify that what appeared to be a spontaneous freedom movement in 1989 was in fact a coup d’état orchestrated from Moscow—in offices of the Russian KGB...
...People will simply believe what they wish to believe. More people indulge their own ideas of the world rather than deal with its realities...
...I realized that the collapse of the communism in Europe is one of the most incredible stories of the century and the public should know what really happened...
...I collected unprecedented body of interviews that, when edited together, paints the big picture of what really happened...
...After all it may be useful for you to find out who framed Roger Rabbit...[7]		 ”

Featuring in The Collapse of Communism (in alphabetic order):

Filmography

documentaries, feature-length, also as director / producer

other, (mainly / also) as director of photography[9]

Books

professional

References

  1. ↑ Recenze : Sametová kocovina (Velvet Hangover) (in Czech), Pilsen Film festival 2001, with photos of Buchar and film poster with David Černý's famous Horse
  2. ↑ "Eight Films Emerge" (PDF). Kodak. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  3. ↑ entry at Columbia College : Film and Video : Faculty website
  4. ↑ "Wild Decades and Velvet Hangovers". by Peter Hames, Transitions Online. 2001-05-21. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  5. ↑ Velvet Hangover review by Eddie Cockrell, Variety, February 28, 2002
  6. ↑ Velvet Hangover. (Short Takes). by Louis Menashe, Cineaste, March 22, 2002
  7. 1 2 collapseof communism.com – author's website of the film The Collapse of Communism – The Untold Story
  8. ↑ J.R. Nyquist (2007-09-14). "Filming the Great Deception". financialsense.com. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  9. ↑ Freedom Film Festival 2002: The Films
  10. ↑ books' entry on amazon.com

External links

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