- Occupation
Producer, Director - Country
Slovak Republic
Kabošová Svatava Maria
A Secret World of the Russian Soul
Is Orthodox spirituality still alive in Russia or is it a “new ism“ of the post-communist powers?Synopsis:The young generations of Russians are beginning to defend themselves against what they see as the ”Americanization of their culture“ and lifestyle. They seek their own identity, doing so in a much different fashion than most European young people.Older people may still remember that foreigners used to be barred from entering some specific parts of the former USSR... One of such areas was the entire Samara Region.We discover the Samara Region with Anna G., an 18-year old editor-in-chief of a local teenager magazine IDI (Go!). Together with her we search answers for questions: How does the post-communist Czech Republic and the post-Bolshevik Russia really differ? What do today’s Russian youths dream of? What they beleive?Is Orthodox spirituality still alive in Russia or is it a “new ism“ of the post-communist powers that be with their experience in the infamous NKVD? Could the Russian Orthodox Church really “retain its original spiritual values” over the past 70 years during which it had been systematically decimated and NKVD agents had been implanted in the church hierarchy? We will follow interesting life stories and remarkable cases (such as activities of former teeneger, now pope Dimitri L. and his incredible school and university in Togliatti) which may prove to be an inspiration for us as well... we may perhaps understand why the part of Europe in front of the Urals is divided into “Europe” and Russia...
The Bloody Sands of Libya
Slovak nurse Luba El Malaheg came to Libya 20 years ago. She fell in love and married a Libyan surgeon and converted to Islam. When he suddenly died two years ago, she decided to stay.The armed conflict changed the life of the Misurata hospital head nurse. She couldn’t leave the injured and dying. She sends her son and daughter back to Slovakia and then lives through hell on earth. After two months she decides to escape on a fishing boat and manages to organize transport for a seriously wounded British war photographer. Her son-in-law Nasri transports him under heavy fire to the Misurata port. Nasri and Donka decide to return to Misurata where there is no food, no medicaments, water or electricity. Luba follows them as well. In the middle of the conflict she faces horrors of the war, as well as her own conscience and dramas in her own family.
All My Children
Marian Kuffa with “his children”– former convicts, the homeless and drug addicts – start a new mission in gypsy slums in East Slovakia. A story of genuine courage, power of humanity and love. “Do not love people according to their merits but according to their needs,“ runs motto of charismatic Marian Kuffa. His “Zakovce miracle“ is known far beyond Slovakia´s borders. With former convicts, the homeless and drug addicts he built in Zakovce during 20 years a new home for handicapped seniors, single mothers, battered children and former prostitutes. They all passed through hell and find a new hope. In their farm they raise horses, grow grain, bake bread, make wooden toys; they mastered building trades. Former convicts and prostitutes turning into kind-hearted nurses. After a time, they are able to return to ordinary life. But not every story has a happy ending… There are more than 250 people in the Zakovce community. They built a hospice, a house for the elderly … they are building a new similar “family” in the neighbouring Czech Republic. Director of this film has been recording the chequered histories of the people living in community for ten years now. But now Marian efforts to change a gypsy slum, step by step educate its inhabitants. In fact, he is faced with the bureaucracies of the state – but also with the Roma themselves. The drama of the ”quixotic“ struggle with the gypsy rough reality. He is moving at the thin dividing line between life and death. Are we going to witness his success or a tragedy? We are tracing the stories of Marian Kuffa and several main characters from the Roma settlements for over three years...
Is Orthodox spirituality still alive in Russia or is it a “new ism“ of the post-communist powers?Synopsis:The young generations of Russians are beginning to defend themselves against what they see as the ”Americanization of their culture“ and lifestyle. They seek their own identity, doing so in a much different fashion than most European young people.Older people may still remember that foreigners used to be barred from entering some specific parts of the former USSR... One of such areas was the entire Samara Region.We discover the Samara Region with Anna G., an 18-year old editor-in-chief of a local teenager magazine IDI (Go!). Together with her we search answers for questions: How does the post-communist Czech Republic and the post-Bolshevik Russia really differ? What do today’s Russian youths dream of? What they beleive?Is Orthodox spirituality still alive in Russia or is it a “new ism“ of the post-communist powers that be with their experience in the infamous NKVD? Could the Russian Orthodox Church really “retain its original spiritual values” over the past 70 years during which it had been systematically decimated and NKVD agents had been implanted in the church hierarchy? We will follow interesting life stories and remarkable cases (such as activities of former teeneger, now pope Dimitri L. and his incredible school and university in Togliatti) which may prove to be an inspiration for us as well... we may perhaps understand why the part of Europe in front of the Urals is divided into “Europe” and Russia...
The Bloody Sands of Libya
Slovak nurse Luba El Malaheg came to Libya 20 years ago. She fell in love and married a Libyan surgeon and converted to Islam. When he suddenly died two years ago, she decided to stay.The armed conflict changed the life of the Misurata hospital head nurse. She couldn’t leave the injured and dying. She sends her son and daughter back to Slovakia and then lives through hell on earth. After two months she decides to escape on a fishing boat and manages to organize transport for a seriously wounded British war photographer. Her son-in-law Nasri transports him under heavy fire to the Misurata port. Nasri and Donka decide to return to Misurata where there is no food, no medicaments, water or electricity. Luba follows them as well. In the middle of the conflict she faces horrors of the war, as well as her own conscience and dramas in her own family.
All My Children
Marian Kuffa with “his children”– former convicts, the homeless and drug addicts – start a new mission in gypsy slums in East Slovakia. A story of genuine courage, power of humanity and love. “Do not love people according to their merits but according to their needs,“ runs motto of charismatic Marian Kuffa. His “Zakovce miracle“ is known far beyond Slovakia´s borders. With former convicts, the homeless and drug addicts he built in Zakovce during 20 years a new home for handicapped seniors, single mothers, battered children and former prostitutes. They all passed through hell and find a new hope. In their farm they raise horses, grow grain, bake bread, make wooden toys; they mastered building trades. Former convicts and prostitutes turning into kind-hearted nurses. After a time, they are able to return to ordinary life. But not every story has a happy ending… There are more than 250 people in the Zakovce community. They built a hospice, a house for the elderly … they are building a new similar “family” in the neighbouring Czech Republic. Director of this film has been recording the chequered histories of the people living in community for ten years now. But now Marian efforts to change a gypsy slum, step by step educate its inhabitants. In fact, he is faced with the bureaucracies of the state – but also with the Roma themselves. The drama of the ”quixotic“ struggle with the gypsy rough reality. He is moving at the thin dividing line between life and death. Are we going to witness his success or a tragedy? We are tracing the stories of Marian Kuffa and several main characters from the Roma settlements for over three years...
Producer, scriptwriter and TV director. Producer of more then 40 videos and film realises and 25 music realises. Radio scriptwriter and speaker - more then 500 programs series „Healing sounds“, "Good morning“, "Czech republic, Help-line“, „Mystery“. Scriptwriter of more then 100 programs for: Czechoslovak Television, Slovenska filmova tvorba, Czech television, Slovak television and TV Markiza. TV and film director of more than 60 projects. Graduated on Faculty of Philosophy, Charles University in Prague in 1983 - Master’s Degree in History. 1985-1991 editor, later editor-in-chief for the department of educational programs for children, Czechoslovak Television Bratislava, Slovak Republic. In 1990 founder and director of the publishing house and holding companies of ARCADIA Ent. Group. In 1991 founder and president of the international company AWIKA (SK, CZ, H, A), producer of series Treasury of Classical Music, Canada – Switzerland, The Mystery of Gregorian Chants. Since 1999 independent scriptwriter, TV director and producer. In 2005 co-founder, producer and managing director of MEDIA FILM.
Creative documentaries: Attention sex! - 1990Who is Kristína Royová? - 1991, Czechoslovak Television, So herrschen sie - 1993, Terra Media, Austria,The life of bishop Gorazd - 2002, Czech TelevisionAndrei Kolomacky - The Builder of Churches - 2003, Czech TelevisonThe Miracle on the River Volga – 2006, Czech Television Series of documentaries: Overshadowed - 1996-2003, TV Markíza Slovakia Curriculum vitae – 1999-2000, series of 14 true life stories, Czech TelevisionThe Way of Faith/Cesty víry – 2001-2010, series, Czech Television Saints and Witnesses/Svědci a světci – 2008 – 2009, series Czech Television
Media Film
Námestie Hraničiarov 37
85103 Bratislava
Námestie Hraničiarov 37
85103 Bratislava
THE MAN WHO CHANGED SHANGHAI:
*awarded Prize of Film Critics for the Best Slovak Documentary
and a Creative premium for film and television documentary production – to the director;
*awarded the prize of the Slovak Literary Fund;
*selected for competition at the Documentary Edge Festival 2012, New Zealand;
*the director awarded the Mayor of Banska Bystrica Award, 2010;
*the director nominated for Crystal Wing Award, 2010.