Mene Tekel film festival hands out awards for civic courage

The 13th Mene Tekel international film festival against totalitarianism on Sunday handed out awards for civic courage to leading personalities who were persecuted for openly opposing the Nazi or Communist regimes.

The “Dame of Czech Culture” and “Knight of Czech Culture” awards went to writer and Holocaust survivor Erika Bezdíčková, writer and activist Helena Havlíčková, world-renown conductor Libor Pešek and rabbi, writer and playwright Karol Sidon, among others. Dissident singer-songwriter Karel Kryl was awarded in memoriam.