We only film what has happened or can happen, says the director of the documentary about Prague’s nature — ČT24 — Czech Television
“We only shoot what actually happened or can happen, we never make things up,” says director Jan Hošek. He and his colleagues captured dozens of “secret residents” of the Czech capital on camera. He entrusted the main roles to four animal heroes.
Mouflons in the hospital, the mysterious dormouse
Spectators can follow the life of a herd of mouflons that were released into the Kunratic Forest in the last century. But they also “took over” the park on the grounds of the adjacent Thomayer Hospital. “It probably wouldn’t be a problem to push the mouflons out, but the hospital didn’t do that, it wisely decided that the presence of animals has a quite beneficial effect on the psychological well-being of patients and convalescents,” Hošek praises.
While mouflons are not hard to come across, another of the heroes – the dormouse – lives a rather mysterious life as a nocturnal animal. It can only be found on Petřín Hill. The filmmakers themselves were not sure if their wish to film the dormouse would come true.
While filming the inconspicuous neighbors of Prague, chance played its part, but it was based on thorough preparation and cooperation with expert advisors. “But of course the problem with animals is that they don’t read the script,” notes Hošek.
Adaptable blackbirds and green-footed warblers
However, the documentary filmmaker’s favorite is said to be the green-footed woodpecker. Even though he knew about her existence in Prague, she managed to surprise him partly. “I had no idea how complicated the life of these birds in a big city environment is, full of pitfalls and adventures. And how the slypka finally manages to overcome them with human willpower,” he describes.
Hošek mentions blackbirds as birds that were able to adapt to the urban environment. They have lived in Prague for a generation, which began to affect not only their behavior, but also their appearance. For example, blackbirds that have turned partially or completely white due to genetic variations have a better chance of surviving in built-up areas. “In a city where there are fewer predators, blackbirds generally have fewer enemies,” explained Hošek.
The filmmakers managed to get close to the animals at Planet Prague thanks to modern technologies. Actor Jiří Macháček comments on everyday life in urban nature for the audience.