Czechast: Miloš Forman and Jiří Menzel about 1968

Explore the Prague Spring of 1968 through personal memories of Miloš Forman and Jiří Menzel, and learn about the legacy of Czech-English scholar Jaroslav Peprník.

In the first half of today's show, we're going to delve into one of the most pivotal moments in Czech history: the Prague Spring of 1968. Obviously, we’ve just had the 56th anniversary of the Soviet led invasion. I want to let you hear very personal memories of two giants of the Czech cinema of that fateful night from 20th to 21st August 1968.

Jaroslav Peprník|Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

You will hear Miloš Forman, the director of Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Jiří Menzel who also got an oscar for Closely Watched Trains. I’ll also try to shed light on one of the disinformation spread by the Russian state propaganda about what happened in 1968.

In the second half of the episode, we'll shift our focus to pay tribute to a remarkable figure in Czech-English relations: professor Jaroslav Peprník of Palacký University. We mentioned him briefly without much explanation with my last two guests: Karina Giffard and David Livingstone. And I think I owe him something more. His story is one of resilience and dedication, from learning English during the hardships of wartime to becoming an influential scholar and educator.