New documentary maps presidential campaign's backstage

Prague, March 18 (CTK) - Finding President (Hleda se prezident), a new documentary by Tomas Kudrna, maps the course of the first ever Czech direct presidential polls held in January, including the collection of people's signatures by the contenders and the backstage of their campaigns in the two-round race.

The film, to appear in Czech cinemas on March 21, is also a "report" on the state of Czech political and media scenes.

Nine candidates ran in the election. Apart from them, the film makers focused on Tomio Okamura, whose candidacy was excluded by court and he unsuccessfully challenged the verdict.

The documentary presents a number of important and ridiculous moments from the election backstage along with the candidates' private lives and people close to them.

It follows each of the candidates on their path from the beginning to the crucial moment of balloting. It notices the support various artists and celebrities voiced for individual candidates.

The film reflects the gradual escalation of tension between the contenders and their mutual lash-outs within the election campaign.

Kudrna told CTK that the utterances the candidates made about each other played only a small role in the campaign.

"I think the decisive factor was the situation in which people live, whether they have enough money to buy bread and support their families. Although sharp attacks were waged and serious facts surfaced within the campaign, they surprisingly did not influence the election [outcome] very much," Kudrna said.

He said all candidates took an accommodating approach to the film makers because they needed publicity. The most open of all were the candidates Jiri Dienstbier (senator for the opposition Social Democrats, CSSD) and Karel Schwarzenberg (foreign minister for the junior ruling TOP 09).

On the contrary, it was extremely difficult to approach former socialist PM Milos Zeman ahead of the January 25-26 run-off vote, to which he advanced along with Schwarzenberg, Kudrna said.

Defeating Schwarzenberg in the runoff, Zeman (small Citizens' Right Party honorary chairman), was elected the third president of the Czech Republic. He was inaugurated on March 8.