Josef Mach

25.02.1909, Prostejov, Austro-Hungary - 07.07.1987, Prague, Czech Republic

 

Mach is a Czech director and screenwriter who worked as a journalist and a theatre and film actor. In 1938, he became an assistant director on short feature films in the Grafofilm Studio, as well as Zdarfilm and Nationalfilm. Thanks to his friendship with the director Václav Kubásek, he started to work as a screenwriter. After WWII he directed his first films; at first he co-directed with Václav Kubásek the films Thunder in the Hills (V horách dun, 1946) and A Big Case (Velký prípad, 1946), and then on his own filmed the comedy Nobody Knows Anything (Nikdo nic nevi, 1947). He directed a variety of films of many different genres, such as the political drama Action B (Akce B, 1952), the comedies The Village Revolt (Vzbourení na vsi, 1951), Racek má zpozdení (1952), The Detour (Objízdka, 1968), Tri nevinni (1975), the musical comedies Florenc 13:30 (1957), Waltz for a Million (Valcík pro milión, 1961), the crime dramas Na kolejích ceká vrah (1971) and the biographies Palette of Love (Paleta lásky, 1976) about the Czech painter Josef Mánes. His most famous film in these parts is The Sons of Great Bear (Die Söhne der großen Bärin, 1966), produced by the East German studio DEFA.

Filmography


Films by this director

Sons of Great Bear

(Die Söhne der großen Bärin, 1966.)

Directed by: Josef Mach
PHOTOGRAPHY: Jaroslav Tuzar
Synopsis:

Gojko Mitić, in his first leading role, stars as Tokei-Ihto, the son of a murdered Indian chief who had been trying to secure a dignified life for his tribe. His father was murdered by a white man named Red Fox to get some gold that is allegedly hidden somewhere in Indian territory. When they were first given the land it seemed as if the Indians would have a peaceful life, but as soon as white men learn about the gold they want to chase the Indians away. Supposedly for the purpose of negotiation...

35 mm, color, 92 min
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