- Occupation
Producer, Director - Country
Czech Republic
Mináč Matěj
The Power of Humanity - Nicholas Winton
In 1939, Nicholas Winton, at the time a young English stockbroker, personally saved the lives of 669 children, mostly Jews, from the Nazi-held Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. This moving film chronicles his heroic act, which he kept secret for 50 years, not even telling his wife. When he came to Prague on a business trip in 1939, he sensed clearly the fate that awaited Czech Jews. He decided immediately to set up an office for refugee children, processing forged passports, visas, and adoption papers in order to get 7 to 9-year-olds into homes in Britain. He did this completely on his own initiative. Today, there are over 5,000 descendants of the "Winton Children." Combining rare archive footage and interviews with the jovial 93-year-old Winton and several others, including Václav Havel and Simon Weisenthal, the film celebrates Winton's courage and determination to confront evil on a personal level and serves as an inspiring testimony to the power of good.
Nicky's Family
Dramatic follow-up of the documentary The Power of Good about Nicholas Winton’s Kindertransport rescue mission. This film enhances the original story with a number of dramatic re-enactments narrated by the rescued children and Sir Winton himself, rare archival footage and interviews with some of today’s most influential personalities. Joe Schlesinger, a CBC reporter and one of the rescued children, is the guide in the film, who presents not only how Winton’s act changed his life, but also how it continues to influence the lives of thousands of others worldwide. As the young generation, inspired by Winton’s story, tries to cope with present-day problems and actively tries to help make the world a better place.
In 1939, Nicholas Winton, at the time a young English stockbroker, personally saved the lives of 669 children, mostly Jews, from the Nazi-held Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. This moving film chronicles his heroic act, which he kept secret for 50 years, not even telling his wife. When he came to Prague on a business trip in 1939, he sensed clearly the fate that awaited Czech Jews. He decided immediately to set up an office for refugee children, processing forged passports, visas, and adoption papers in order to get 7 to 9-year-olds into homes in Britain. He did this completely on his own initiative. Today, there are over 5,000 descendants of the "Winton Children." Combining rare archive footage and interviews with the jovial 93-year-old Winton and several others, including Václav Havel and Simon Weisenthal, the film celebrates Winton's courage and determination to confront evil on a personal level and serves as an inspiring testimony to the power of good.
Nicky's Family
Dramatic follow-up of the documentary The Power of Good about Nicholas Winton’s Kindertransport rescue mission. This film enhances the original story with a number of dramatic re-enactments narrated by the rescued children and Sir Winton himself, rare archival footage and interviews with some of today’s most influential personalities. Joe Schlesinger, a CBC reporter and one of the rescued children, is the guide in the film, who presents not only how Winton’s act changed his life, but also how it continues to influence the lives of thousands of others worldwide. As the young generation, inspired by Winton’s story, tries to cope with present-day problems and actively tries to help make the world a better place.
The History of the Film Never Shot
The story begins in the late 1980s, at the moment when the young Slovak director Matej Mináč got an approval for making an interview with the exceptional Federico Fellini. The following two decades and three differentideologies of the time (Communist, Nationalist and „Europeanist“)provide endless obstacles to making a documentary about this greatpersonality of the film world. Minac’s year-long struggle shows that an artist should never give up his artistic goal. The film will contain never-before seen footage of Fellini.
The story begins in the late 1980s, at the moment when the young Slovak director Matej Mináč got an approval for making an interview with the exceptional Federico Fellini. The following two decades and three differentideologies of the time (Communist, Nationalist and „Europeanist“)provide endless obstacles to making a documentary about this greatpersonality of the film world. Minac’s year-long struggle shows that an artist should never give up his artistic goal. The film will contain never-before seen footage of Fellini.
Matej Mináč - Film director, producer, writer Born in 1961 in Bratislava, Slovakia. Graduated in film directing from the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Bratislava (VŠMU). Recipient of 2002 International Emmy Award and the Czech Lion for documentary The Power of Good.
2011 – Nicky´s Family, documentary2002 - Nicholas Winton – The Power of Good, 2002, documentary. Awards: 2002 INTERNATIONAL EMMY AWARD for outstanding documentary program, USA, nominee for the 2006 NEWS AND DOCUMENTARY EMMY AWARD representing HBO/CINEMAX, 2006 Christopher Award – New York, 2009 Czech Lion – Best Czech Documentary in the last 15 years, official selection and other awards at numerous international festivals.
Nicholas Winton - The Power of Good - International Emmy Award 2002, nominations - 2006 News and Documentary Award representing HBO/CINEMAX, 2006 Christopher Award, 2009 Czech Lion Awards – Best Czech Documentary for the last 15 years, Special Mention at the 19th Troia International Film Festival (Portugal), Trilobit Award (Czech Republic), Slovak Film Critic’s Prize and Prize Igric (Slovak Republic), 2005 Pacific Jewish Film Festival Spirit Award Grand Prix - Nine Gates Film Festival (Czech Republic), First Award – Warsaw Jewish Film Festival (Poland); Audience Awards - Washington Jewish Film Festival, Miami Jewish Film Festival.