Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

Special Features (Blu-ray)

• Resurrecting the Avant-Garde - in this new video interview, film historian Peter Hames, author of Czech and Slovak Cinema, discusses Jaromil Jires' diverse body of work and his experimentation with narrative, the novel that inspired Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, some of the key differences between the novel and the film, the symbolism in the film (and specifically the use of color), the sexual overtones, Lubos Fiser's score, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2015. In English, not subtitled. (16 min, 1080p).
• Jaroslava Schallerova - in this archival interview, Jaroslava Schallerová recalls how she was chosen to play Valerie and quickly addresses the shooting process. The actress also mentions that she has appeared in more than 40 films, but many of them were banned during the Cold War era. The interview was conducted by Pavel Kremen in 2006. In Czech, with optional English subtitles (6 min, 1080i).
• Jan Klusak - in this archival interview, Jan Klusak remembers how he felt during the shooting of Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (apparently, he wasn't treated very well), and discusses his character (a perverted friar), Ester Krumbachová's screenplay, the long shooting process, etc. The interview was conducted by Pavel Kremen in 2006. In Czech, with optional English subtitles (6 min, 1080i).
• The Valerie Project Score - the Valerie Project is a Philadelphia-based psych-folk ensemble which created an alternate score for Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. The score was first performed in 2006 and recorded in 2007. The entire film can be seen with this alternate score.
• More Than a Soundtrack: The Valerie Project - in this brand new featurette, Joseph A. Gervasi and Greg Weeks, cofounders of the Valerie Project, explain how and why they were inspired to create the alternate score for Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, and discuss the rehearsal process, the harmonic structure of the new score, and some of the film's important qualities. The featurette was produced exclusively for Criterion in 2015. In English, not subtitled. (16 min, 1080p).
• Short Films - presented here are three newly restored films which Jaromil Jires directed before Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. See the video section of our review for comments on the technical presentations. 1. Uncle (1959) -- a thief enters an apartment but is confronted by a boy who demands that he fixes a few of his broken toys. Starring Vlastimil Brodský and Vladimír Zavázal. In Czech, with optional English subtitles. (7 min/1080p/Dolby Digital 1.0). 2. Footprints (1960) -- during the war, an escaped Russian prisoner enters a small village where people no longer trust each other. Starring Václav Lohniský, Vera Tichánková, Svetla Amortova, and Vladimir Hlavaty. In Czech, with optional English subtitles. (13 min/1080p/Dolby Digital 1.0). 3. The Hall of Lost Footsteps (1960) -- at a busy train station, a young woman bids farewell to her lover. Soon after, she becomes haunted by dark thoughts and images of a nuclear disaster. The short ends with a chilling summary. Starring Ladislava Nováková and Petr Trnka. In Czech, with optional English subtitles. (12 min/1080p/Dolby Digital 1.0).
• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring Yana Prikryl's essay "Grandmother, What Big Fangs You Have!." (The author is a senior editor at the New York Review of Books. Her essays on film and photography appear in the New York Review and The Nation, and her poems have been published in the New Yorker, the London Review of Books, the Paris Review, and elsewhere.

Blu-ray Screenshots