A Choice Voice: Interview with Taťjána Medvecká, the great stage actress enlivened a recent literary reading, proving her status as national treasure is very much intact.

A young Taťjana Medvecká aspired to dance ballet but hung up her Pointe shoes for Shakespeare after a candid instructor suggested that her physical stature wasn’t up to the task. This simple twist of fate led to a storied theatrical career beginning in 1975 with studies at Prague’s Theatrical Academy of Performing Arts (DAMU) — upon graduation she joined the Národní Divadlo (National Theatre) repertory where she has since featured in 80 plays — and culminating in professional accolades and the admiration of her peers and the public, who regard her as one of the leading actresses of Czech stage and screen.

Despite Medvecká’s numerous film and television appearances —
she recently logged a part in the 2008 tale of royal bloodletting, Bathory — live theater is her true métier. Her diverse roles have graced Prague’s other prestigious stages as well, among them the Rokoko Theater, Kolowrat Theater, and Divadlo na Zábradlí, earning the actress much acclaim. In 2000 and 2002 Medvecká received the Thálie Award, bestowed annually for best dramatic performance, for her portrayal of Elizabeth in Schiller’s Mary Stuart (2000) and Antonie Nikolajevna in Nilin’s Married for the First Time (2002). She has also collected countless awards for her voice-over and broadcast radio work.

Medvecká recently lent her prized voice to May’s Night of Literature event, a series of poetry and prose readings held at various Prague locales, giving an inspired and extremely well-received interpretation of the work of José Luis Peixoto at the Rotunda of the Holy Cross. We had the good fortune to attend the event and the even better fortune of sitting down with the lovely Ms. Medvecká afterward.Tell us how you got involved in the Night of Literature project.
I like reading as a discipline as such — be it on the radio, various openings, christenings or other presentations (though I seem to have less and less time to read for pleasure). I was approached by the organizers of the event and I had some free time and I liked the text so I thought I’d give it a try. I had no idea that it would become so popular, which pleased me very much. The audiences were lovely and appreciative so I survived so I survived those 250 minutes of reading aloud with my full health intact.

Who is your personal favorite writer?
A. P. Čechov — an author ahead of his time.

Your husband Jiří Dufek is a writer as well. Have you worked together?
Yes, my husband is a screenwriter and playwright but first and foremost a lecturer at FAMU, so he works much more with students then with me. The last time we worked together was on a fairy-tale program some 25 years ago.

What is it like having two artists under the same roof?
Our life is definitely not one of great order. But now that both of our daughters are adults it is much calmer. The earlier years were quite hectic. Fortunately, our parents used to help us out quite a lot in their own, different ways, which was a tremendous help. To this day I am grateful for their assistance.

Are you brutally honest about each other’s performances?
Of course we are! Though it is a little one-sided as it is difficult for me to judge the way my husband lectures but after every premiere we discuss my performance and I am a very attentive listener. I believe that he is a great analyst in that sense.

You also do a lot of voiceover work. What are the challenges and rewards with regards to that particular craft?
The challenge is to portray the character in such a way that the viewer has the feeling that Susan Sarandon [Medvecká has voiced Sarandon multiple times] or Liza Minelli is actually Czech. The voice talent must inhabit the actual actor and assume her rhythm, not simply copy the actual intonation of the original language. A good dubbing director not only keeps a close eye on synchronization but also makes sure that the voiceover actor speaks in a natural manner.

I always feel the film’s spirit and the actor’s performance get lost or watered down in translation. Any thoughts on this?
There was a time when people in the industry took it very seriously to the point of talking about launching Czech voiceover schools. I dare say that many of the dubbed films of that era were on par with the originals. Today the work is often done at a hectic tempo, the actors not even meeting in the studio, but recording their parts separately so there is no spontaneous dialogue. Technology may be improving but at the great cost of professional quality.

Why do you believe dubbing is so popular here in the Czech Republic while other countries rely solely on subtitles? Which do you prefer?
I’m not sure, perhaps because of the comfort factor or perhaps just habit. My personal preference is for original language films with subtitles.
It makes sense then that language is such a passion for you. Share some of your linguistic background with us.
I am like a parrot and a monkey. I have a good ear for music and I also like conversation. If I am speaking with someone who has an accent, I am quite adept at imitating it. I love the English language for its conciseness, Russian for its softness and French for all the rattling Rs and melody. Whenever I speak a foreign language I really pretend that I am a citizen of that nation. And I like that, that game.

What kind of a traveler are you? Do you go to see the country or its people?
Travel satisfies and appeases my curiosity, be it at home or abroad. I prefer to organize my own travels as opposed to tours from travel agents, though I am not an adventurer, I would not travel to Patagonia alone with just a backpack. I like visiting various landmarks and monuments, and natural wonders and I am also interested in architecture. I love the heat and the sea.

What is your favorite journey?
To the countries around the Mediterranean Sea — Cypress, olive groves, lavender, cicadas, the heat — heaven!

When you are here in Prague do you consider the theater a second home?
It is true that sometimes I spend more time in the theater then at home, but it is not a second home (because a person only has one, no?) nor an office as such. It is a strange world in a world of its own, to the outsider it might seem slightly disjointed, introverted, even comical, but a person is never bored there. Who would you like to work with on stage? Who were your film heroes coming up and which contemporary performers do you admire?
I have always wanted to work with Peter Brook on the stage. Growing up it was always Audrey Hepburn, Richard Burton, Paul Newman, Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman. Today it is Cate Blanchet, Helen Mirren, Nicole Kidman, Johny Depp and Al Pacino.

Do you think that being an actress behind the Iron Curtain limited your own opportunities for worldwide exposure?
I’m a realist and I know that unlike many other artistic forms, acting is first and foremost connected with the spoken language. That does not mean that the very limited opportunities to travel, intern and tour did not extremely anger me. A terrible experience and one that is all but incomprehensible to today’s young generation.

How do you react to criticism? How has your approach towards criticism changed over the 30‑plus years you have been an actress?
Considering the fact that most criticism or reviews are more about retelling the story and listing the names of the actors rather than a detailed polemic commentary of the play, I perceive it as more of an informational tool for readers, rather then a mirror aligned at the actors and creators of the play.

Proudest career achievement? Any regrets?
I suppose I regret that I have not been in any comic films of any real note.
I am not an overly proud person. I am happy when a performance comes into being that the audience enjoys and accepts. I am extremely happy that I still enjoy doing theater.

Some  music is intended to paint a romantic scene — a candlelit dinner, a walk along a moonlit beach. Quiet Nights — Diana Krall’s twelfth album — ain’t about that. Using Brazil as a musical point of reference, the award-winning pianist and singer is not suggesting a night out; she means to stay in.

“It’s not coy. It’s not ‘peel me a grape,’ little girl stuff. I feel this album’s very womanly — like you’re lying next to your lover in bed whispering this in their ear.”

She’s not kidding. From Krall’s refreshing version of “Where or When,” to an utterly soul-stilling rendition of “You’re My Thrill,” the ten songs on Quiet Nights are disarming in their intimacy. Even those already familiar with the breathy vocals and rhythmic lilt in Krall’s music — and now there are millions — will be taken aback by just how far the music pushes, unabashedly, into the realm of sweet surrender. “It’s a sensual, downright erotic record and it’s intended to be that way.”Krall is the first to credit the musical team she assembled — her loyal quartet, ace producer Tommy LiPuma, engineer Al Schmitt plus legendary arranger Claus Ogerman — for much of the seductive power on Quiet Nights. But there’s a deeper, palpable sense of maturity that she brought to the recording as well. “Most of my singing and playing on the album is really just first or second takes. ‘You’re My Thrill,’ was a second take — “Too Marvelous,” first take.”"She’s completely matured,” says Tommy LiPuma, who should know, having first worked with Krall in 1994. “Even in the past few years. She approaches her vocal phrasing much more like an instrumentalist than a straight singer. It’s in her reading of the lyrics, and the timbre of her voice, much more misty like Peggy Lee in her mature period.” (“I didn’t want to over sing — I was drawing also from Julie London very strongly on this album,” Krall confesses, noting that such influences are not always conscious on her part. “It just came out that way.”)

As such, the Brazilian focus of Krall’s new album could not have been a more natural next step. “She’s been very sympathetic to this music for a long time,” notes LiPuma. “When we did The Look of Love, we were very much leaning in the bossa nova direction. Quiet Nights is really a celebration of this music. Diana sings three Brazilian classics, she rhythmically turned four standards into that style, and three ballads. So really there are ten songs on the album of which seven are just straight up bossa novas.”It makes sense that Quiet Nights (also the English name of the bossa nova classic “Corcovado” that is the title track) draws much of its musical spirit from the land that puts the “carnal” into its annual Carnaval celebration. “I was inspired to do this record because of my trip last year to Brazil,” says Krall, who returned to Rio de Janeiro to shoot a concert for a new DVD release. “Then I just kept going back and found that everywhere you go you still hear the sounds of Jobim and bossa nova.

“For those who may not remember or weren’t yet around, Brazil’s bossa nova wave (literally “new bump” or “new way” in Portuguese) was the widely popular musical style, based on the country’s traditional samba rhythms, that swept up from the sidewalk cafes of Rio in the early ‘60s and seduced the entire planet with its hypnotic, swaying beats, sultry melodies, and new, exciting harmonies — all with generous room for jazz improvisation. Antonio Carlos Jobim (who composed “Quiet Nights” and “The Girl from Ipanema”) and Joao Gilberto (“Este Seu Olhar”) are two of the pioneers of the music, revered as national heroes in Brazil to this day.

Claus Ogerman was the arranger on many of bossa nova’s first wave of recordings, working with the likes of Jobim and Gilberto, as well as Frank Sinatra, Stan Getz and Bill Evans. That he pulled himself out of semi-retirement in Munich to work on Quiet Nights says much of his respect for — and enjoyment working with — Krall.

Fifteen years later, she can look back over a stellar career path: in ’99, signed to Verve, her career exploded when When I Look in Your Eyes won a GRAMMY® for best jazz vocal and became the first jazz disc to be nominated for Album of the Year in twenty-five years. In 2002, The Look of Love was a #1 bestseller in the US and a five-time platinum album in Canada. 2004’s The Girl in the Other Room, was her first to focus on her own songwriting (with six tunes co-written with husband Elvis Costello); 2005’s Christmas Songs proved one of the season’s best-sellers; and 2006’s From This Moment On was an upbeat, critical success that coincided with the birth of her twin sons — a life-affirming event that LiPuma feels enhanced Krall’s continuing growth as a musician. “Motherhood definitely agrees with her and marriage. I think she’s really come into her own.”As moving as Quiet Nights is — deriving from Krall’s feelings for Brazil and bossa novas — the singer is not shy in admitting that its sensuality is as much about her home life. “It’s my love letter to my husband — just an intimate, romantic album.” As they say in Rio — obrigado!

Mystery still surrounds much of the gold and silver artwork the Incas produced  to reflect the glory of their Sun God.

A world without cash or even the concept of money. It may be the scenario wished for by the most wistful modern utopians or painted by the most incorrigible doomsayers in the current financial upheaval, but it was the reality of the Inca civilization.

They mystery of Inca art and ritual: We know, but we don’t knowThe young scholar, researcher, and author slips us some more insider information by explaining two disparate reasons why the Incas – just one of the many cultures represented in the exhibit – are so intriguing. On one hand, Dr Křížová says, it’s because of what we don’t know; and on the other, what we know rather well.

One Inca tradition remains alive and well

Whether you openly weep every time Mimi dies in La Bohème,

And he sings in the shower, too.

tells Lifestyles Magazine®, “I hope that I can also celebrate the 40th

in Barcelona, in Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia? or maybe after his 1971

I can do anything … if I’m organized. That’s why I was beginning to panic when I stepped into the Lifestyles Editor-in-Chief position and couldn’t find a shop stocking one of my essentials for getting organized: a big wall calendar.

Luckily, at the sixth stationery store I ransacked, I met a cheery, helpful young salesman. No, he didn’t have the calendar in stock, but he would check the warehouse and call me back. And an amazing thing happened: That afternoon, he called. Yes, they would have the calendar in the shop tomorrow. The salesman promised to call the next day between noon and 2 pm to confirm.

And then another amazing thing: at 1:17 pm the next day he called. The calendar would be ready for pickup after 4 pm.

It is such a tiny thing, calling when you say you’ll call. Caring enough about a customer to track down a needed item. And doing it all with an attitude that says “it’s a pleasure for me.”

Yet, such tiny things are the way to build a great nation.

Former Czech President Václav Havel has a lot to say– has always had a lot to say – about nation-building. Some of his comments from a decade ago are still fresh and even more urgent today. That’s why in this issue we’ve dedicated our cover story and the following pages to some of his ideas.

And there are others who manifest a positive message about nation-building in the Czech Republic. They’re doing it in a quiet way, for example by supporting the arts and emerging Czech artists. The advertising messages from Glaverbel/AGC Flat Glass Europe in our magazine help us tell you the exciting news about the history of Czech glass and new glass products; information from Galerie Pokorná has helped us bring you a three-part story of Czech glass art and to introduce you to some of the youngest Czech glass artists.

And you’ll find some interesting comments about the contributions of Czechs to Canadian (and Czech) society, in our interview with His Excellency Michael Calcott, the Canadian Ambassador to the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

There are many other positive and interesting examples of nation-building in the pages of this issue. We’ll leave it to you to find them for yourself.

Happy reading.

Throughout history, the czech lands, located in the center of central europe, have been a crossroads of diverse power interests as well as currents of thought. “events in our country were a test for all europe, a warning to the continent, and a challenge to redefine its basic values…,” then-President Václav Havel noted in his Address to forum 2000 ten years ago.

“Probably even more important than this political fate was what I would choose to call the spiritual record of our country,” he said then.

In this issue, we take a look at the progress – or lack of it – the czech lands, the continent, and humanity as a whole has made since that forum a decade ago by looking at some of the conclusions from the latest forum 2000, held oct 7-9 this year. to set the scene, we begin with a closer look at some of Mr Havel’s remarks from sept 4, 1997:

“I see a large, yet typical, paradox for our era in the fact that though contemporary humanity has been aware of [social] dangers, it does almost nothing to confront or avert them.”

He continued, “It is fascinating how preoccupied people are today with all kinds of catastrophic prognoses. Is it not common for titles, containing impressive evidence of the disasters into which we are tumbling headlong, to become best sellers? And
how very little people take these into account in their everyday activities. ”

“For how many years now have these warning data been taught in schools and yet how small is the effect of this knowledge on human behavior! Does not every school child know today that the resources of this planet are limited and that if exhausted
faster than recovered, would mean we could not but be doomed? And still we continue in our ways and, moreover, do not even seem perturbed. Quite the contrary: rising production, and therefore also consumption, is felt as the main sign of success of a state…”

In his earlier address, Mr Havel pointed out that it would be unfair, however, to deny the existence of numerous projects aimed at averting the dangers and at implementing action.

“However, all attempts of this kind have one thing in common: they do not at all touch basic trends of development, from which the threats I am speaking of, sprout; but [they] merely regulate their impact using technical or administrative instruments.”

He explained, “A typical example of such instruments are legal acts, ordinances, or international treaties stipulating how much toxic matter this or that product may contain or how much toxic waste this or that plant may discharge into the environment. I am not criticizing this type of standards or safeguards … I only claim that these are technical tricks reducing the unfavourable impact of other techniques, without … having any effect on the substance of the matter.”

How many of the ideas of that 10-year-old address remain relevant today? Back then, Mr Havel addressed the participants:

“It is my deep conviction that the only option is for something to change in the sphere of the spirit, in the sphere of human conscience, in the actual attitude of man towards the world and his understanding of himself and his place in the overall order of existence.”

He explained further, “It cannot suffice to invent new machines, new regulations, new institutions. It is necessary to understand differently and more perfectly the true purpose of our existence on this earth and of our deeds.” he pinpointed his belief that the crisis in global responsibility is due to the fact that “we have lost the certainty that the universe, nature, existence, and our lives are the work of creation guided by a definite intention, that it has a definite meaning and follows a definite purpose, and together with this certainty, of course, also all and every humility towards what reaches beyond us and surrounds us.”

Mr Havel then suggested that the remedy might be found in what unites “the various religions and cultures, in the search for common sources, principles, certitude, aspirations and imperatives, a purpose-minded search,” and then to cultivate “all matters of human coexistence and endeavour” as well as the treatment of the planet; and to “suffuse it all with the spirit of … the common spiritual and moral minimum.”

Ten years on, after this forum 2000 Address, and eighteen years after the Velvet Revolution, what progress has been made? listen in on just a few of the conversations held at the latest forum 2000, in the following pages.

“Young people do not want to follow in our footsteps. In fact, they are one step ahead of us.”

The new report cards are out. And the generation that’s currently running the world is getting a failing grade. That’s the bottom line in “The Second Prague Declaration” issued at the Forum 2000 Conference which was held Oct 7-9 at various locations around Prague. Forum participants from around the world agreed that the problems initially identified in the first Prague Declaration in October 2001 have not been solved.

In fact, in many respects, they say, the problems have deepened.

The First Declaration warned about the growing threat of confrontation between different cultures and civilizations due to their inability to understand each other. “[This could] endanger not only the peaceful coexistence of nations but the very survival of mankind,” it had warned. It called for all individuals to realize more fully their shared responsibility for the shared world.

Now, The Second Declaration reports that the threat is even more acute today than six years ago. The conference delegates therefore reiterated their earlier message to all responsible citizens of the world, and in particular to the young generation which will take over the responsibility for solving global problems.

But, as the Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean noted in her welcoming speech, “Young people do not want to follow in our footsteps. In fact, they are one step ahead of us.”

So what hope does that give to the current generation, the one now (but for not much longer) in power, the one now in political office, the one running corporations, creating jobs, investing in global markets? Should this generation simply jet off into the sunset and cushion itself in one of the remaining private resorts before it’s too late?

A look at the socially-responsible corporation

Predictably, the answer is no. Fortunately, the participants of Forum 2000 brainstormed some concrete suggestions, in panel discussions on freedom and responsibility in politics, international law, media, and business, respectively. Following is a look at the discussion from two of the many Forum sessions.

The socially-responsible corporation was the focus of the panel discussion, “Freedom and Responsibility in Business.” Graham Mackay, CEO of SABMiller, emphasized the importance of business being integrated with society. “Business is not a separate society, it is society,” he declared. Further, a general consensus was reached on the point that business cannot even survive without a healthy society.

Meanwhile, all panelists – except one – agreed that socially-conscious companies are the future in a multinational business environment. The lone dissenter was Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation, a philanthropy dedicated to world peace and to education. In his view, the reality of the corporate world is that “businesses have never been able to restrain themselves.” However, since profits are the driving force of a healthy society, he suggested that proper government regulation helps to hold companies accountable to their shareholders and customers.

“Already, dozens of companies with massive economic and political power are more influential than many governments”

The role of government was also cited by panelist Leszek Balcerowicz, former president of the National Bank of Poland, who put on the table his list of three vital roles for government: to protect businesses, governments should fight corruption, protect property rights, and respect the rule of law.

On the other hand, education was the favored solution of Frank Lampl, president of Bovis Lend Lease. Addressing the topic of a company’s longevity, he said, “The company with the highest educated employees are the companies that will outlast any oil company.”

That thought was again supported by Lampl, and Ronald E. Gerevas, former president and CEO of Heidrick and Struggles, speaking at an invitation-only luncheon entitled “Emerging Challenges to Corporate Social Responsibility.”

The speakers pointed out that already, dozens of companies with massive economic and political power are more influential than many governments. The corporate sector is taking a leading role in more spheres of public life, and increasingly, at the expense of government power.Business support limited to charity and sport may no longer be enough, they warned.

The financial experts advocated support of, and participation in, education and innovative thinking. They believe this is the way not only to ensure individual freedoms and contribute to public well-being, but also to guarantee the most advantageous environment where business can flourish. Youth and minority radicalization in large cities.

And what about those youth who are one step ahead of the current generation in power? Remarkably, by the year 2030, about 60 percent of the global population will live in cities – and the majority of them will be young people. Those statistics were revealed at the public roundtable debate, “Youth and Minority Radicalization in Large Cities.” Although the city has always been perceived as the place for opportunity, it’s expected that reality in a few short years will be quite different for the new generations. Many will never find work, and will face poverty, social exclusion, and political and religious radicalization.

Sadly, we won’t have to wait for the future to see the beginnings of these trends; speakers from several countries revealed the situation in their neighborhoods right now. Gabor Demszky, the Lord Mayor of Budapest, recalled that in his country’s pre-democracy period, no force was used in the fight for democracy. However, today’s radical, nationalistic oriented youth already living in a democratic environment are using force in attacks on both the police and the elderly.

Pavel Bém, the Mayor of Prague, said young people here are facing “soft” social problems such as drug and alcohol addiction and HIV; whereas Jan Kasl, the former mayor, addressed problems similar to those listed by Demszky: extreme radicalization issues, he claimed, exist in Prague in a latent state; they just aren’t visible – yet. He added that although the fight for democracy is over, the young generations must be made aware of what the older generations have bequeathed them. Education and promotion of multicultural integration are the highest priorities, in his view.

“Business support limited to charity and sport may no longer be enough”

Faouzia Hariche, Councillor for Youth and Public Education in Brussels, cited the stigmatizing of foreigners as the reason citizens are tempted to fight the marginalized in society. He described a devastating cycle: first, the lack of employment opportunities, coupled with a lack of housing options an cultural differences, set the cycle in motion. Perpetuating it is the education system in Belgium. Then, violent and inappropriate behavior of radicals towards police solidifies the stigma, which is again further strengthened by harsher punishment and legal action taken against youth and minorities.

Another interesting factor was proposed by the University of Birmingham’s Tihir Abbas: the large number of underachieving youth with talent that fails to thrive. Modernizing and improving schools was a solution suggested by Afzal Kahn, former Lord Mayor of Manchester. Indeed, maybe to find the freshest solutions it’s time to ask the kids.

Among those participating in this year’s Forum 2000 conference:

• Former US Secretary Of State Madeleine Albright
• Iranian Lawyer/Human Rights Activist/Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadí
• Opposition Leader Alexandr Milinkievič, Belarus
• Jan Muhlfeit, Chief of Microsoft Europe
• Dissidents Oswald Paya Sardinás, Cuba, And Galymžan Žakijanov, Kazakhstan, Accepted Invitations But Were Prohibited By Their Governments From Attending.
• CNN Chief Correspondent Christiane Amanpour
• Former President Of Chile Ricardo Lagos

Imagine being allowed to sneak into history’s attic and open up any box, trunk, parcel, notebooks, diaries or photo albums you choose. What would you look at first? What if your discoveries shattered your perception of historical events? How would your new insights affect you personally?

“We need young people to understand what was going on here.”

— Václav Havel

Someday soon, you may be able to find out, once The Václav Havel Library emerges from the dream and the plans into something more concrete: a four-dimensional building with public access. The collection will include the famous dissident-and-former-president’s writings, plus writings and other materials from the entire communist period through today.

In the meantime, you can get a little teaser taste of the fare to come, when an exhibition of photographs and some published materials opens in mid-December at Hergetova Cihelna, Cihelná 2b, Prague 1, Malá Strana.

The idea for the library is modeled on the American tradition of presidential libraries, a separate monument to each president, filled with the leaders’ personal memorabilia plus official documents of the era, all available to academic researchers, historians, tourists, and school children on field trips.

However, The Malá Stranaversion of the presidential library will be slightly different. It’s envisioned as being not only a library, research center, and archive; but will also sponsor activities such as publishing. It will further function as a think tank, with perhaps its biggest task to make Czech history of this period understandable to the young generations. “We need young people to understand what was going on here,” Mr Havel has been quoted as saying.

Where the money will come from

Anxious to remain free and independent, the Library is partially funded from local individual and corporate donations and sponsors, and international institutions. However, these sources account for only a part of the Library’s cost of operation and administration. Other support will come from the Library’s publishing activities and cultural events, and fundraising events held by supporters of the Library.

Individuals and companies may make donations to The Václav Havel Library. A taste of the types of materials the library will include may be obtained from the book, Prague- Washington-Prague, by Václav Havel . It reveals a collection of dispatches from the American Embassy in Prague to the US State Department during the passionate days of November-December 1989. In addition, a cycle of various public readings, in Czech, will be held throughout the year at the Municipal Library of Prague.