Czechoslovak Filmmaker Jiří Ployhar in Tibet 1956 : Two Color Documentary Movies

BĚLKA, Luboš. Czechoslovak Filmmaker Jiří Ployhar in Tibet 1956 : Two Color Documentary Movies. In Confluences tibétaines, 8 March 2022, online, Sorbonne University Paris, Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales, France. 2022.

Basic information

• Original name: Czechoslovak Filmmaker Jiří Ployhar in Tibet 1956 : Two Color Documentary Movies
• Authors: BĚLKA, Luboš.
• Edition: Confluences tibétaines, 8 March 2022, online, Sorbonne University Paris, Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales, France, 2022.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Presentations at conferences
• Field of Study: 60304 Religious studies
• Country of publisher: France
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Organization unit: Faculty of Arts
• Keywords in English: Czechoslovak film director Jiří Ployhar; Tibet; the Dalai Lama; the Panchen Lama; the Phagpa Lama; Augustin Palát; the first Czechoslovak automobile expedition; from Golmud to Lhasa
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

Czechoslovak film director Jiří Ployhar made two short colour documentaries in Tibet in 1956, in which he captured not only the first automobile expedition from Golmud to Lhasa, but also the three highest religious hierarchs of the then Tibet: the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama and the Phagpa Lama. In 1956, the Motokov Czechoslovak foreign trade enterprise organised an expedition, which was also attended by three journalists: Karel Beba, Alois Svoboda and Jiří Ployhar. In total, there were twelve participants, and besides the journalists, they were drivers and technicians. The diplomat Augustin Palát, who also acted as an interpreter from Chinese, also played an important role. The main objective of this daring venture was a load test of Czechoslovak trucks, three Tatra 111, two Praga V3S and one Jawa 250 motorcycle. The leader of the expedition was Stanislav Černý. The expedition was a great success, setting several records. It was really a great test of people and technology. Two short colour films were made by Jiří Ployhar as an original documentary. He called them Velká zkouška (The Great Test) and Zápisník z Tibetu (Notebook from Tibet). He also wrote several articles, which he accompanied with his own photographs. The lecture is dedicated to these films.

Links

• MUNI/A/1377/2021, interní kód MU: Name: Víra a tradice po rozpadu jistot modernity: K antropologii a historiografii po postkolonialismu a postmoderně (Acronym: VITRAROM)

Investor: Masaryk University