Documentary films
Studio Budíkov manages all the rights to the documentary films of Martin Kratochvíl and films made in co-production. On these pages you will find a list of all the films, including short description and technical parameters. Information on the extent of all rights is available from us on request.
THE INDIAN RELIGIONS
(the standing alone part of The Gods and Prophets series)
Year of production: 2010
Written and directed by: Martin Kratochvíl
Music by: Martin Kratochvíl
Running time: 25‘31“
Format: full HD 1920x1080
Produced by: Studio Budíkov
Language version: Czech
One of the three parts on Hinduism of the Gods and Prophets film series. A documentary on the complicated world of Indian religious beliefs and their expression in ancient Vedas and sagas. The Indian religions have no obligatory texts, canon, religious institutions or pope. On the other side, they have an enormous number of gods and their incarnations. Trilokatma Dasa, a Vaishnava monk accompanies and narrates the movie on the original sites in India, from Kurukshetra to Vrindavan, Dwarka and many others.
LORD KRISHNA
(the standing alone part of The Gods and Prophets series)
Year of production: 2010
Written and directed by: Martin Kratochvíl
Music by: Martin Kratochvíl
Running time: 25‘47“
Format: full HD 1920x1080
Produced by: Studio Budíkov
Language version: Czech
One of the three parts on Hinduism of the Gods and Prophets film series. The Vaishnava monk Trilokatma Dasa explains the life of Krishna in the historic background of the Indian holy places. We learn of the battle of Kurukshetra, where Bhagavad-Gita was first pronounced. We travel places, where young Krishna spent his childhood and mythical Dwarka, where he built his magical fortress, today sitting on the bottom of the ocean, or in the minds of believers.
HINDUISM TODAY
(the standing alone part of The Gods and Prophets series)
Year of production: 2010
Written and directed by: Martin Kratochvíl
Music by: Martin Kratochvíl
Running time: 25‘30“
Format: full HD 1920x1080
Produced by: Studio Budíkov
Language version: Czech
One of the three parts on Hinduism of the Gods and Prophets film series. A Vaishnava monk Trilokatma Dasa talks about his conversion to Hare Krishna Movement and the monastery life in India. He would explain the function of the temple of Krishna in Vrindavan and the symbols of vaishnava holy ceremony. We follow the development of Hinduism today, in India and the other countries of the world.
KARNALI
(Humla, Limi Valley, To The Unknown, Kolti)
Year of production: 2010
Written and directed by: Martin Kratochvíl
Music by: Martin Kratochvíl
Running time: 4 x 20min.
Format: full HD 1920x1080
Produced by: Studio Budíkov
Language version: Czech
An adventures documentary series from the distant and almost forgotten West Nepal district of Karnali. The first part - Humla - describes the history of the whole land and the reasons of today’s poverty and famine. In the second part we follow an expedition route of long inaccessible Limi Valley, along the Tibetan border. The last two films bring us into the deserted and not much visited country south of 7000m high Saipal Himal. The Karnali district in those high altitudes is almost not inhabited and the few people we met have not seen white men before. The documentary is not a mere description of the expedition route. It has an ambition to go much deeper into the culture, customs and religion of the mystical land west of the river Karnali.
THE GRAND CANYON EXPEDITION
Year of production: 2010
Written and directed by: Martin Kratochvíl
Music by: Martin Kratochvíl
Running time: 26‘30“
Format: full HD 1920x1080
Produced by: Studio Budíkov
Language version: Czech
A documentary film on a exceptional raft tour on the full length of Colorado river. The magical site of the Canyon is backed by the explanation of the geology, archeology and ethnical survey of the breathtaking phenomenon. It has its peaks in the demanding white water travel through the numerous rapids of Colorado canyon land.
But mentioned are the stories of the pioneers and the fates of the native peoples of the region, also flora and fauna of the „miracle of the world“. Especially interesting is the saga of Major John Wesley Powel and his first voyage to explore the Canyon.
INDIAN HIMALAYA
(Along the Indus Valley, Manali Road, To the Heart of the Mountains, Zanskar, Lamayuru – Srínagar)
Year of production: 2011
Written and directed by: Martin Kratochvíl
Music by: Martin Kratochvíl
Running time: 5 x 19 min.
Format: full HD 1920x1080
Produced by: Studio Budíkov
Language version: Czech
Five parts series from the long expedition to the western Indian Himalayas. In the first part we visit the monasteries of Likir and Alchi in Indus Valley and the Pangmo Lake on Indo-Tibetan border. Second part maps the highest road of the world from Leh to Manali. In the third and forth part the long trekking tour is described from Darcha over Shingo La to Phugtal and Padum. From there it continues over the high passes and famous gompas to Wanla. The final part brings us from Lamayuru Gompa over Zoji La high pass to Srinagar, which was in the time of the expedition in the state of civil war turmoil and difficult to visit and leave at all.
ROCK MONASTERIES IN ETHIOPIA
(Film carries copyright CT)
Year of production: 2011
Written and directed by: Martin Kratochvíl
Music by: Martin Kratochvíl
Running time: 26 min.
Format: 1920x1080, full HD
Produced by: Studio Budíkov
Language version: Czech
Against a beautiful background, often only churches available in climbing and carved into the rocks, the document explains the difference between Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. It brought nine Syrian saints to Ethiopia in the 4th century. The exotic religion originated and lived in the company of the Egyptian Copts, but also under the strong influence of Islam and Judaism. It contains a great tradition of hermitage life and life in monastic seclusion. All these facts, including a different pantheon of saints, as well as significant differences in beliefs, will be exposed in the film during a tour of the most attractive rock monasteries and hermitages, mostly in the high mountains of northern Ethiopia. The film compares contemporary European Christianity with today's Ethiopian Orthodoxy and provides historical reasons for significant differences.
ETHIOPIA
(Addis Ababa 3’03, Frankincense Market 2‘30“, The Pilgrims 3‘20“, The Monastery on The Lake 2‘47“, Island Monasteries 2‘48“, The Blue Nile Waterfalls 2’57, The King’s Residence 2‘57“, Women in Gondar 2‘48“, On The Market Of Debark 2‘49“, Simien Mountains 3‘09“, The Coffee Ceremony 2‘54“, The Beauty and The Beast 2‘39“, Country Market 3‘18“, The Stelae of Aksum 2‘36“, Aksum 2‘36“, The Vespers 3‘38“, Yeha – The Memoirs of Future 2‘23“, Debre Damo 3‘02“, The Rock – Hewn Churches of Tigray 3‘02“, Gheralta Rock Churches 3‘01“, The Village in Tigray 2‘59“, On The Foothills 3‘14“, Where The Time Stopped 2‘14“, Injera 2‘54“, Behind The City Walls 3‘46“, Lalibela 3‘22“, The Temple Town 2‘11“, Bet Gabriel Rufael 2‘33“, Bet Amanuel 2‘33“)
Year of production: 2011
Written and directed by: Martin Kratochvíl
Music by: Martin Kratochvíl
Running time: see above
Format: full HD 1920x1080
Produced by: Studio Budíkov
Language version: no commentary, just music and subtitles
29 miniatures from the expedition of the „northern loop“ in Ethiopia. Every short film is preceded by a map of the site of production. Each film consists of one episode from one site at one time, but is not accompanied by any narration. Instead, the edit flies on the sheer aesthetics of music and on the beauty of the picture.
The expedition led through the wild lands of high Simien Mountains, through the deserts, waterfalls of the Blue Nile and beautiful lakes. It discovers the ancient Christianity in the rock-hewn churches and monasteries of Tigray, the monolithic churches of Lalibela as well as the dark faces of rural Ethiopia. Besides the old customs of coffee ceremony and injera making, you find pictures of contemporary Addis Ababa and its markets.
LIVE AT REDUTA
(Paloma (11‘08), All Blues (9‘35), Cestou (6‘25), Boogie pro Fantynu (4‘14), Why Do Stars (8’09), Zdroje tu jsou (4’38), Manuela (7’22), Kalypso (8’38) + Black Market (5’20) together 13‘58, Báryšnja (4’51), Toledo (17’10))Year of production: 2011
Written and directed by: Martin Kratochvíl
Music by: Martin Kratochvíl, Tony Ackerman, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul
Running time: 1°37‘
Format: full HD 1920x1080
Produced by: Studio Budíkov
Language version: Czech and English announcements
Step down into Prague's renowned Reduta Jazz Club and enjoy this live performance of original jazz from three jazz masters: Czech pianist Martin Kratochvil, the legendary first ambassador of jazz-rock to Eastern Europe, American guitarist Tony Ackerman, 7-string fingerpicker who brings the roots of blues and country into his free-wheeling improvisations, and Imram Musa Zangi, who ties it all together with an extraordinary arsenal of percussion instruments linking Latin American grooves with the delicate timbres of his native Iran.
LANDS OF THE FRANKINCENSE TRAIL
(The Gift of the Three Wise Men, Frankincense In History, Arabia Felix, Through the Desert and Over the Sea, The Western Route, On the Other Side, Trade and Warfare, On the Borders of the Roman Empire, At the Gates of the West, Frankincense Today)Year of production: 2012
Written and directed by: Martin Kratochvíl
Music by: Martin Kratochvíl
Running time: 10 x 20 min.
Format: full HD 1920x1080
Produced by: Studio Budíkov
Language version: Czech
Filmed at locations of: Jordan, Syria, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Ommán, Yemen, India, Turkey, Israel, Nepal.
Ten parts epic documentary on 5000 years lasting trade with the frankincense. The film shows the sacred locations of frankincense trees (Boswelia sacra) in the ommanian district of Dhofar, Ethiopia and elswhere. The team of filmmakers follows the ancient route of caravanes from the plants of Boswelia resin to the western world. The theme of the movie is not only the topography of the route, but also the historical moments of its functioning, the logistics of the trade, the wars over the control of the trail as well as the description of the caravan trade. It also shows the whole range of fortifications and fortified towns the caravaneers were using to protect the precious substance. The players of the game? Queen of Sheba, Nebukadnesar, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Caesar, Plinius Maior, Theophrastes etc. The last part of the series brings the today’s view of frankincense from the point of pharmacy, biology, medicine, aromatherapy and perfumery.
English 
Czech