''Cutting It Short'' (also released as ''Shortcuts'') ( - literraly:

First haircut The first haircut for a human has special significance in certain cultures and religions. It can be considered a rite of passage or a milestone. Indian Hindu In Hindu tradition, from birth, hair is associated with less positive aspects of ...

) is a

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

Czechoslovak Czechoslovak may refer to: *A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93) **First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38) **Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39) **Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60) ** Fourth Czechoslovak Repu ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Jiří Menzel Jiří Menzel () (23 February 1938 – 5 September 2020) was a Czech film director, theatre director, actor, and screenwriter. His films often combine a humanistic view of the world with sarcasm and provocative cinematography. Some of these films ...

. It is based on the novel ''Postřižiny'' by Czech writer

Bohumil Hrabal Bohumil Hrabal (; 28 March 1914 – 3 February 1997) was a Czech Republic, Czech writer, often named among the best Czech writers of the 20th century. Early life Hrabal was born in Židenice (suburb of Brno) on 28 March 1914, in what was then ...

. The story is set in a brewery in a Czech small town. The film is an evocation of the childhood memories of

in his provincial town of

Nymburk Nymburk (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 16,000 inhabitants. It is situated on the Elbe River. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Mo ...

, dominated by the local brewery. The main actors of the film, uncle Pepin and Maryška, are based on real family members of Hrabal: Maryška on his mother and uncle Pepin on his real uncle, who came to stay two weeks in the town but remained for forty years. His spontaneous stories influenced much of Hrabal's literary work. The film was entered into the main competition at the 38th edition of the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

Adriano Aprà Adriano Aprà (18 November 1940 – 15 April 2024) was an Italian film critic, film historian, screenwriter, director, festival curator, academic and occasional actor. Life and career Born in Rome, Aprà graduated in law at Sapienza Universi ...

, Giuseppe Ghigi, Patrizia Pistagnesi. ''Cinquant'anni di cinema a Venezia''. La Biennale di Venezia, 1982. . According to the film critic and historian Peter Hames, ''Cutting It Short'', which frequently quotes or refers to silent comedy, is one of the best post- Tati comedies. Theodor Pištěk designed the costumes for the film.

Cast

Magda Vášáryová Magda may refer to: * Magda (given name), a feminine given name (including a list of persons with the name) * Marinko Magda (born 1963), Serbian mass murderer * Magda, São Paulo Magda is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The ...

as Maryška *

Jiří Schmitzer Jiří Schmitzer (born 25 October 1949) is a Czech actor and musician, the son of actor Jiří Sovák. He is a four-time holder of the Czech Lion Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Biography Career Schmitzer graduated from the Theatre Fa ...

as Francin *

Jaromír Hanzlík Jaromír Hanzlík (born 16 February 1948) is a Czech actor. Selected filmography Film * '' Coach to Vienna'' (1966) * '' Romance for Bugle'' (1967) * '' Maratón'' (1968) * '' Slasti Otce vlasti'' (1969) * '' The Joke'' (1969) * '' A Night at K ...

as Pepin * Rudolf Hrušínský (II) as Dr. Gruntorád *

Petr Čepek Petr Čepek (16 September 1940 – 20 September 1994) was a Czechs, Czech actor. He was among the founders of The Drama Club theatre in Prague, where he played from 1965 until his death. He also had dozens of film roles, and he won the Czech Lion ...

as Mr. de Giorgi (board member) * Oldřich Vlach as Ruzicka *

František Řehák František () is a masculine Czech and Slovak given name. It is a cognate of Francis, Francisco, François and Franz. It can be also surname (feminine: Františková). Notable people with the name include: Given name Arts * Frank Daniel (Franti ...

as Mr. Vejvoda *

Miloslav Štibich Miloslav is a Slavic masculine given name, derived from the Slavic root ''mil-'', "merciful" or "dear", and ''-slav'' ''glory''. Name variants * feminine form: Miloslava * diminutive form: Miloš * Polish: Miłosław/Miłosława * Czech femi ...

as Mr. Bernádek *

Alois Liškutín Alois (Latinized ''Aloysius'') is an Old Occitan form of the name Louis. Modern variants include ''Aloïs'' (French), ''Aloys'' (German), ''Alois'' (Czech), ''Alojz'' ( Slovak, Slovenian, Croatian), '' Alojzy'' (Polish), '' Aloísio'' ( Portugu ...

as Sefl *

Pavel Vondruška Pavel Vondruška (15 November 1925 – 5 February 2011) was a Czech actor and musician, and from 1969 was a member of the ''Jára Cimrman Theatre'' (named after Jára Cimrman, the spurious character) in Žižkov, Prague. His main profession was as ...

as Mr. Lustig * Rudolf Hrušínský (III) as scrub *

Miroslav Donutil Miroslav Donutil (born 7 February 1951) is a Czech theatrical, film and television actor, born in Třebíč. Since 1978 when he appeared as Hloch in '' Čistá řeka'', Donutil has been making film and TV appearances. He dubbed the voice of Kevin ...

as stable boy * Oldřich Vízner as Boda Cervinka

References

External links

* 1980 films 1980 comedy films Czechoslovak comedy films 1980s Czech-language films Films based on works by Bohumil Hrabal Films directed by Jiří Menzel Czech comedy films 1981 comedy films 1981 films 1980s Czech films {{1980s-comedy-film-stub