Radovan Vašák is the producer of the popular fairy tale The Secret of the Old Blunderbuss 2, which was filmed during the difficult times of COVID. “We even considered postponing the filming by a year, but since everything was ready, including the contracted actors, locations, and more, we decided not to delay,” says Radovan.
How did you get into film?
Pure chance. I met director Ivo Macharáček at an afterparty at Prague‘s Wenceslas Square. We clicked on both the personal and ideological levels and became friends. However, it never occurred to us that we might one day come together professionally as well. I once asked Ivo why there had never been a sequel to The Secret of the Old Blunderbuss, which he had directed and which was very successful. He responded that he had never really wanted to do one and believed that you shouldn’t step in the same river twice. But over time, we had more and more frequent discussions about how the stories of the bandit Karaba, his daughter Anička, Prince Jakub, and the cunning rogues Ferenc and Lorenc might develop. Eventually, I managed to convince Ivo that a sequel might not be a bad idea. From there, it was only a small step to establishing a production company, approaching screenwriter Evžen Gogela, and getting the entire project off the ground.
One of the roles of a producer is to obtain financing. Was that difficult?
Shooting a fairy tale movie is not exactly cheap. Unlike sitcoms, fairy tale movies tend to be more expensive mainly due to costume and location costs. There are also fewer opportunities to sell ad space (product placement). It would not have been possible to make the fairy tale without the cooperation of Czech Television, which served as co-producer and significantly contributed to the budget. Unfortunately, we did not receive funding from the Czech Film Fund. We mistakenly believed that creating content for children, especially a fairy tale, would be considered a priority that would garner support. We had to work that much harder to find partners who would support our project either through sponsorship or funding. It was not easy, especially during COVID times when everything was shutting down, people were being kept at home, and companies were uncertain about the future. Fortunately, we prevailed and managed to secure the partners we needed. The support from the South Bohemian and Central Bohemian regions was also crucial. Under their patronage, we organized advance screenings for children from orphanages, which took place in Příbram and Mladá Boleslav. I personally attended the screening in Příbram with Governor Petra Pecková, and watching the fairy tale with the children and observing their reactions was an amazing experience. The children‘s joy and laughter assured us that our efforts had been successful.
From The Secret of the Old Blunderbuss 2 shoot (left to right Veronika Khek Kubařová, Ondřej Vetchý, Valentýna Bečková, Tomáš Klus, Kamila Janovičová)
Where did you shoot the film?
At castles in Mníšek pod Brdy and Jindřichův Hradec, as well as in folk museums in Přerov nad Labem and Kouřim, around Černošice, in a quarry near Beroun, and in the picturesque valleys of the Brdy woods. There is also a funny story from our shooting in the woods. In one scene, King Jakub orders the woodcutters to repair a bridge that was ruined by a flood. However, there is no wood to rebuild it because the wood has been stolen. The set workers built a half-collapsed bridge by the stream to prepare for the shoot. To our surprise, the bridge was gone the next day. It seemed as though someone had indeed stolen it, just like in the fairy tale. At that moment, we did not feel like laughing. It was a complication, and we had to adjust the filming schedule. What‘s more, it looked like we would need to order new wood for the bridge. But then we found out that as part of a Children of the Earth event taking place at the time, our bridge had been „cleaned up“ as well. The wood was eventually found at a recycling yard, and the bridge could be rebuilt.
The movie ended up being very successful, didn‘t it?
Yes, five hundred thousand viewers came to see it in theaters, and we received awards both at home and abroad. We won the first prize for the best family film at the International Children‘s Film Festival in San Diego, USA, and the award for the best children‘s film at the 54th Ota Hofman Children‘s Film and Television Festival in Ostrov. We also received first prizes at children‘s festivals in Cyprus, Atlanta, and Nepal. A major accolade was the airing of the movie by Czech Television on Christmas Eve during prime time. Based on this success, we released a limited edition set of investment gold and silver coins featuring all the main characters with the help of a company specializing in precious metals. It is something truly unique, and I believe that The Secret of the Old Blunderbuss is the only fairy tale in the world to have something like that.
How do you like working with director Macharáček?
Ivo has an amazing ability to bring people together and create a positive atmosphere around him. Working with someone like that is a joy. There is mutual trust between us, which I value immensely. We‘ve known each other for about ten years, and we have never had a major disagreement. Of course, there are times when you have different views on things, and in such cases, you need to be able to present your arguments and talk things out. It’s all about the art of listening. We all see things in a different light. This is true in life in general. Each person has gone through different upbringing, environments, life experiences, studied different things, drawn information from various sources, and so on. All of this shapes your worldview. We are not and cannot be the same; each of us is unique in our own way. Therefore, it is crucial to listen to each other and understand the perspectives and needs of the other person.
With Jiří Lábus and Miroslav Vladyka on set of The Secret of the Old Blunderbuss 2.
Is it true that you are preparing a collaboration with Slovakia? What is it about?
Currently, through our Slovak production company FAIRYTALE STAR, we are working on a project in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, mapping Slovak cultural history. It is a series of four documentary films presenting Slovakia as a country with a unique culture and national tradition. Another project that is currently in the advanced stages of planning and which we aim to realize next year as a Czech-Slovak- Italian co-production is a feature film about a girl from an orphanage searching for her roots and her place in life. The screenplay, currently titled Toni is being finalized. We are aiming for global distribution, so the film will be in English. Filming will take place in Bratislava, Prague, Germany, and finally in Sicily, Italy.
FREE TIME
Radovan‘s biggest hobby has always been various sports activities. “Currently, in my free time, I focus mainly on skiing, sports shooting, and mountain biking,” he says. “Two years ago, I got an electric mountain bike, and I regret not getting one sooner. It‘s not about age or whether you need assistance; it‘s about the experience. It‘s completely different from a regular bike. I started exploring and mapping the Brdy forests, discovering places I wouldn‘t be able to reach on a normal bike and places I never thought to visit. The Brdy woods are beautiful, full of forest springs, and I can heartily recommend visiting the Padrť ponds or the highest peak Tok.”
CV BOX
Radovan Vašák (born January 23, 1965, in Příbram) is a film producer, among other things, with the successful film The Secret of the Old Blunderbuss 2 under his belt.
He graduated from the Faculty of Education at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice and taught physical education and geography at the Příbram Sports (Football) School for six years. In 1999, he left teaching and entered the world of business.
He founded a company providing consultancy services in occupational safety, fire protection, and environmental protection, which was one of the first to also conduct inspections of all regulated technical equipment and other machinery. Currently, his company covers approximately 250 organizations across the country.
He is the owner and director of SEVA Controls, Ltd., and the managing director of AQUARDI, Ltd., FAIRYTALE Production, Ltd., and FAIRYTALE STAR, Ltd.
He has two adult children with his wife Petra and three grandchildren - Ema, Viola, and Petr.
