Compact archive June 4, 2007

You can see an unusual exhibition in the spaces of Prague´s metro station Florenc these days. There are photographs depicting how uncontrolled trade with guns affects people´s life in various countries. The exhibition is a part of the “Control Arms” campaign of the Amnesty International.

The photographs were taken by important photographers such as G. Tillim, A. Test or Z. Nelson. They illustrate, how the huge number of guns in the world contributes to the never-ending violent conflicts and how it helps the undemocratic regimes. The victims are often civilians, women and children.

The aim of the campaign is to support an international treaty about the arms trade, which could help to solve the problem.

The exhibition in the metro station Florenc (on B and C lines) will continue till the half of June.

The most successful movie of this year´s Zlin International Film Festival for Children and Youth is the Swedish movie Leaps and Bounds by Petter Naess. It gained the main prize – the Golden Slipper – for the best feature film for youth, the main prize of the international children´s jury and the prize awarded by the jury of the federation of film clubs.

The Viewers´s Prize goes to the Czech movie Maharal by Pavel Jandourek. The Golden Slipper for the best feature film for children was given to the film Little Heroes from Israel, the best animated film is the Brazilian movie Tyger.

The international children´s jury awarded the main prize for the best feature film for children to the Dutch movie Off-side by Arend Steenbergen.

The concert of British singer George Michael in Prague, which was planned on 2nd June, had to be cancelled. The reason is an accident of a truck, which transported equipment for the concert from Bucharest to Prague.

However, the tickets stay valid, because the concert will take place on some later date. It could be at the end of George Michael´s summer tour. The organizers will announce the concrete date till 12th June.

The truck, which had the accident, carried a special platform, which couldn´t be substituted. George Michael apologizes to all his fans for the cancellation of the concert.

One of the best places to go to see a movie in Prague during the summer is the Strelecky Island (“Shooters´ Island”). There is an open-air cinema offering the most interesting new movies and also other events, such as theater performances and concerts. These screenings have always a special atmosphere – you sit on an island on the river Vltava, surrounded by trees and you can see the riverside with the National Theater on the opposite bank…isn´t it better than to sit in a usual cinema?

The open-air cinema was opened yesterday. There will be a program every day till the beginning of September. The movies usually start at 9:30 pm. You can arrive with a dog or with a bike – these things don´t matter. Even in case of bad weather, the movies will be screened, there is a tent to protect the visitors. Especially screenings during a storm are very successful…

The program starts with Czech movies in June. Most of the films are accompanied by English subtitles. There is a summer bar, where you can buy a drink (open between 12 pm and midnight). You can also play petanque, frisbee or badminton at the island.

A ticket costs 100,- CZK. The island is situated under the bridge Most Legii. See the complete program of the open-air cinema here.

American president George W. Bush will arrive in Prague today in the evening. Several demonstrations will take place in the city center, to express disagreement with the possible US radar base in the Czech Republic.

The biggest demonstration will be at the Hradcanske namesti (Castle Square) in front of the Prague Castle. It will start at 6 pm and there should be around 1000 demonstrators. It is organized by the initiative Ne zakladnam (“No to the radar base”).

Other protests are planned to take place at the Old Castle Steps (there will be a campaign about the US policy), at Trziste in front of the US Embassy and at Marianske hradby. There will be a “clown parade” to the Castle Square, because of the “visit of the king of the clowns”, as the organizers say.

The same parade will be held on Tuesday. The campaign at the Old Castle Steps will also continue tomorrow.

It is possible that the demonstrations will be restricted by the police, which plans to close the area of the Prague Castle, including the Castle Square.