Liza Foreman Making its world premiere in the main competition at the San Sebastián Festival on Sept. 19, “Il Boemo,” the story of a forgotten Czech composer who rose to fame in the second half of the 18th century, has taken the award-winning filmmaker Petr Václav more than a decade to complete.
Known as Il Boemo, Josef Mysliveček’s fame was short-lived. He died before reaching the age of 44, after a whirlwind career composing music for Italian courts and theaters.
But Václav, together with his DPs, Diego Romero and Suarez Llanos, costume designer Andrea Cavalletto, and a slew of top operatic singers, has created an action-packed period piece, celebrating his tumultuous life, operatic drama, and the aesthetic beauty of the era.
Variety spoke with Václav ahead of the film’s outing. Why isn’t Josef Mysliveček as well known today as some of his contemporaries? He is certainly not the only composer who has been forgotten.
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