Documentary on architect Kaplický wins at Warsaw festival

Warsaw, Oct 17 (CTK) - The Eye Above Prague Czech documentary by Olga Spatova on architect Jan Kaplicky (1937-2009) and the struggle for his building of the National Library in Prague won the documentary film section at the 26th International Film Festival in Warsaw on Saturday, the jury has announced.

The jury awarded Spatova's film for "depicting the emotional state of a man who was ahead of his time."

The award also carries 3000 euros.

The documentary film focuses on the last two years in the life of Czech-born architect Kaplicky. It starts with March 2, 2007 when his London-based studio won an international architectonic competition for the National Library project in Prague. The film follows the subsequent events around the project.

Kaplicky's library design, in the spirit of his "blob" organic-shaped architecture, stirred up controversial reactions and was opposed by the ruling politicians from the Prague City Hall. Though fans of Kaplicky collected thousands of signatures and staged demonstrations in support of his octopus-like library, the project was postponed indefinitely.

"I am immensely glad that Polish viewers have understood what the film is about - that it is about the current Czech politics and about how people are behaving to one another," Spatova, 26, for whom the award in Warsaw is the first great international success, told CTK.

"It is also interesting that The Eye Above Prague won the award exactly on the day of local elections in the Czech Republic where the library fell victim to a political game," she added.

Kaplicky, who married his second wife Eliska, 40 years his junior, in 2007, died in January 2009 aged 71, only a couple of hours after his wife gave birth to their daughter.

Two films represented Czech cinematography in the Warsaw festival's competition. Apart from Spatova's documentary, Radim Spacek's Walking Too Fast (Pouta) competed in the feature film category.

Last year the Warsaw festival joined the group of prestigious festivals of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), previously called "A category." It also includes the festivals in Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Karlovy Vary, west Bohemia.