Diversity is becoming more and more evident in culture as well. It is quite clear that different minorities will already be represented not only in films, but also in fairy tales. But sometimes it’s complicated with compromises. Even the director Karel Janák knows about it.
According to Aha online The combination of Czech and German production in the creation of a fictional fairy tale usually turns out well. According to CSFD the best example is the fairy tale Three Nuts for Cinderella. However, Karel Janák confided that today’s agreement is completely different than it used to be.
He recalled the filming of the fairy tale How Not to Marry a Princess, where they asked their German partners for tips on actors who could play the king or queen in the fairy tale. Ten proposals came in, and all the actors were dark-skinned Germans. And they wrote that they hope the director understands their sense of diversity.
According to Janák, it is one thing to be correct and another is the context, where the elements must fit together, including the cast. But it was a problem to explain it to the German colleagues, they didn’t want to hear that a diverse cast is not suitable for a Czech fairy tale. In the end, they reportedly offered other actors through gritted teeth.
Janák knows that he has to go with the times, and his main characters have changed compared to the fairy tales he used to make. For the diary iToday Janák confided that excessively handsome princes are not very interesting. On the contrary, it must be interesting and likeable. However, the view of princesses has changed much more. Karel Janák sees that today’s princess can no longer be a girl who just sits and waits for someone to save her. On the contrary, it must be a woman who joins the game herself and who should save the prince many times today.
And how do you see the development of Czech fairy tales?
Source: iToday, Aha online, CSFD
