Vadas Martin

The Likely Case of Vladimír Hučín
For several years, the director followed the story of the persecution of Vladimír Hučín, a former anti-communist fighter, and sought the experiences of those involved. Post-revolution judges, policemen and guards, public prosecutors, parliamentarians monitoring the security service, the police chief, the Confederation of Political Prisoners, members of the public at the trials and boys from a school where in November 1975 Hučín dissolved a celebration of the anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution.

Journeys to Heaven
This document tells of the experiences of Ota Kraus, former prisoner of the Nazi concentration camps, returning to Auschwitz where he was interned. During the years 1940 - 1945 Ota Kraus was imprisoned in Prague, Terezín, Neuengamme, Dresden, Dachau, Sachsenhausen, Auschwitz-Birkenau and Buchenwald. After the War he worked as a jounalist, he gave testimonies at several trials involving Nazi chiefs, he wrote two books and a number of articles. In the film he takes his three sons through Auschwitz - Jan Kraus, a screenwriter, dramatist, actor and businessman, Ivan Kraus, a writer and actor and Dr Michael Kraus, a politologist, professor at Middlebury College in Vermont, USA, accompanied by their wives.

Universities in the Eyes of the Law
A documentary film shot over a period of time which tells of the genesis of the law pertaining to universities, it captures the development of opinions on how Czech universities should look in the future. Placed in confrontation are the opposing views of those taking part - ministers, deputies, rectors, members of parliament, senators and the students themselves.

Land without Heroes, Land without Criminals...
A documentary describing the activities of the Mašín brothers in Communist Czechoslovakia until their illegal flight to the West in 1953.

Zdeňek Mácal´s Way
A documentary on the life wanderings of Czech conductor Zdeněk Mácal which was filmed from 1996 - 1999.

The Story of "Marta Ch"
A documentary about the cause between Marta Ch. and the Premonstratensian order, concerning restitution claims in Strahov and Hradčany.

Alois Among Us
A portrait of 40 years old Alois Kánský, a priest of Roman Catholic church whose fortitude allowed him to request his parishioners, student and close friends to forgive him having cooperated with the communist secret police.

Vladimír Merta's American Note-Book
Vladimír Merta, a composer, architect, and a sensitive artist accompanied the director of this film in the U.S.A., where he was shooting another film Schoolmates. Merta percieves the American reality and inspired by every single place composes his characterful songs. In this documentary we can witness his creative process.

The Gipsies Are on Their Way
A documentary film which describes the work of Pavel Procházka, clerical administrator of the decanal church in Děčín and his evangelical endeavours among the Romany population. One of the landmarks of this difficult journey was teh organization of the first Romany pilgrimage which was held in Bohemia in June 1998.

The Trial H.
JUDr Milada Horáková (1901–1950) was a Czech politician, the victim of a judicial murder during the communist trials of the 1950s. She was sentenced to death in a construed case of conspiracy and high treason and was the only woman to be executed in these cases. Her courage has turned her name into a symbol of resistance against the totalitarian power of the ruling communist party. The ten-part series produced by Czech Television is a reconstruction of the trial of Milada Horáková, using authentic film and sound recordings made at the time, as well as personal testimony from eyewitnesses and historians. It gives a day by day account of the preparations for and course of the trial, and of some of the characters of this trial stage-managed by the communists.The original 7 – hour film record made of the proceedings by Czechoslovak State Security during the nine days’ political trial of Milada Horáková, and the sound recordings from the Czechoslovak Radio Archive and also stenography records taken during the trial and now found in the State Archives, have made it possible to compile a “direct transmission” from the courtroom. Authentic recording is supplemented by personal testimonials from eyewitnesses and historians.

I Won´t Leave Ruins Here...
A documentary film about the endeavours of Marcel Hrubý, custodian of a parish in Srbská Kamenice, to repair the churches in one of the devasted villages of the former Sudetenland, from where the Germans were evacuated after the War.

Velvet Justice
A documentary film about some aspects of the democratic process in the Czech Republic, based on the personal experience of a former dissident Vladimír Hučín , who after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 became an officer in the ‘new’ secret service (BIS), only to be again persecuted by the “velvet” justice of a new regime. Fifteen years after the fall of the communist dictatorship in Czechoslovakia, it is now the Czech Republic which is regarded on the international scene as a “fully grown democracy”. People do not realise the surviving and at the same time increasing power of the repressive elements of the former communist system. Elements that already succeeded in infiltrating into so called democratic structures. We can see them in the state as well as in the local governments, in the police, in various legal organisations and in the secret services. Anybody who tried to point out this danger is immediately banished from the ‘democratic society’, persecuted by the police and departments of justice and his or her livelihood and social standing in society are destroyed. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989 Vladimír Hučín had been celebrated as a hero of the anti-communist dissent. Now, fifteen years later, the ´velvet justice‘ put him again on trial for his activities during the totalitarian regime and from around five years ago he is being persecuted and victimised for his activities in the “new secret service”, where he had been in charge of the defence of the democratic system of the government and of the fight against an ultra-left extremism. On the case of Vladimír Hučín we would like to document the current state of “the post-communist” society in the Czech Republic, where the former communists and “apparatchiks” became members of other parliamentary parties and gained important positions in all leading state organisations, including those of the local governments .

Graduated from FAMU (FILM AND TV SCHOOL OF THE ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS IN PRAGUE) in 1981 and then 1982-2002 worked as teacher of Documentary section of FAMU, cameraman, after 1985 director, 1992 Editor in Chief of News in Czechoslovaque Television and after 1993 producer on documentaries, features and television programmes both in Czech Republic. In the last academic year he was Teacher of Television Studies at Prague’s College of Journalism (Vyšší odborná škola publicistiky v Praze). He has made over seventy films, television and video programmes. VOŠP – College of Journalism (Vyšší odborná škola publicistiky) – Teacher 2004 - 2005 FAMU (FILM AND TV SCHOOL OF THE ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS IN PRAGUE) Course Director, last ten years Vice Head of Documentaries 1982 – 2002 Czechoslovak Television and Czech Television director of more then 45 dokumentaries 1985 - 2004 Czech Television - director and cameraman of 25 volumes of satirical and entertaining fiction programme, television serie “Dvaadvacítka” 1997 – 1999 Czechoslovak Television - Editor in Chief of Television News Programs 1992 KRÁTKÝ FILM PRAHA – director of 5 documentaries about arcitecture in Prague 1985 - 1989 Czechoslovak Television, CT, Art Centrum Praha, KF Praha, Studio FAMU cameraman of more than 75 films and TV programmes 1979 - 2005 Member of: FITES – Film and Television Union of Czech Republic A.Č.K. - Cameramans Guild of Czech Republic