Kekec (1951 film)

Kekec
Directed by	Jože Gale
Produced by	Dušan Povh
Screenplay by	Jože Gale; Frane Milčinski
Based on	Kekec Above the Lonely Abyss by Josip Vandot
Starring	Matija Barl; Frane Milčinski; France Presetnik; Zdenka Logar; Jože Mlakar
Music by	Marjan Kozina
Cinematography	Ivan Marinček
Edited by	Ivan Marinček
Production; companies	Triglav Film
Distributed by	Vesna film (original); Viba film (current)
Release date	18 December 1951 (Slovenia);
Running time	97 minutes
Country	Slovenia; Yugoslavia
Language	Slovene

Kekec is a 1951 Slovene/Yugoslavian adventures-youth film directed by Jože Gale. Film was based on the Kekec Above the Lonely Abyss (Kekec nad samotnim breznom), a mountain narrative by Josip Vandot, last of three stories about Kekec, which was published in Slovenian youth magazine Zvonček in 1924. Film was produced by Triglav Film and originally distributed by Vesna film, currently at Viba film. Story is set in northwest part of Slovenian mountains, mainly in author's birthplace Kranjska Gora and Julian Alps.

This is the first in the Jože Gale film series about Kekec and has two sequels: Good Luck, Kekec (Srečno, Kekec!) from 1963 and Kekec's Tricks (Kekčeve ukane) from 1968.

There was more than thousand kids on the film's audition chosen by casting director Ernest Adamič. One of the supporting actors was Slovenian singer Lado Leskovar.

Plot summary

Based on the popular story "Kekec nad samotnim breznom" ("Kekec Above the Lonely Abyss", 1924) by Josip Vandot, story wasn't changed that much from original, but the songs with music in background were totally new. it's set in an idyllic village of the Slovenian mountains where Kekec (Matija Barl), a young boy is living.

High up in the mountains leads his solitary life Bedanec (France Presetnik), a man everybody is afraid of because he is wicked. But the brave boy Kekec is not afraid of him. When he gets to know that Bedanec keeps his victims Mojca (Zdenka Logar) and Kosobrin (Frane Milčinski) in his house, he sets out to find them. With his courage and cunning Kekec manages to set them free, and what's more, he forces Bedanec to leave for good.[1]

Success

This is by the far most popular and successful films in Kekec's film trilogy and one of the greatest films in Slovenian and Yugoslavian cinema history. First Slovenian film with international award, supposedly went to festivals and cinema in over sixty countries all around the world like China, where it hosted in 1957 as part of Yugoslavian film week and Argentina.[2]

Cast

Actor	Character	Description
Matija Barl	Kekec	fearless boy and story's main character. Enormous impact in Slovenian popculture
Frane Milčinski	Kosobrin	a tiny and modest old man with long white beard and hat who is gathering herbs
France Presetnik	Bedanec	scary and evil wild poacher with long black beard with from the mountains
Zdenka Logar	Mojca	sister of Rožle, and captured by Bedanec
Modest Sancin	Mišnjek
Lojze Potokar	oče	father from Kekec
Vida Levstik	mati	mother from Kekec
Alenka Lobnikar	Tinka
Jože Mlakar	Rožle	frightened boy, a friend of Kekec and brother of Mojca
Drago Zupan	night watchman
Fran Lipah	music spelman	playing the simple instrument

Photo gallery

Shooting locations

Lokacija	Občina	Opis
Gozd	Tržič	small village in municipality of Tržič
Bedančev konec	Kranjska Gora	the most of the film was shot
Savica Fall	Bohinj	shooting just under Savica Fall
Mojstrana	Kranjska Gora	they build a small village set
Slemenova špica	Kranjska Gora	scene with theme song : "Dobra volja je najbolja"
Saint Josef Church	Ljubljana	Scene of Gorge with stream

Film outtakes

Matija Barl (Kekec)
Bedanec and Kekec
Bedanec
film poster
film postcard

Award

This was the first ever international award for a Slovenian feature film. At 13th Venice International Film Festival in 1952, this film won a Golden Lion for the best film in youth category, for kids between ages 11 and 14.[3][4]

Music

Music and theme song was written by Slovenian composer Marjan Kozina. Lyrics for theme song called Kaj mi poje ptičica (Dobra volja je najbolja) was written by Frane Milčinski and performed by Tomaž Tozon together with Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra.[5]

References

"Kekec's 1951 plot from Slovenian Film Fund site in English". Slovenian Film Fund. Archived from the original on 10 October 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
"Kekec, slovenski filmski junak, ki je osvojil tudi Kitajsko" [Kekec: Slovenian film hero, who went to China] (in Slovenian). MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
"Kekec's Tricks in memory of the film father, director Jože Gale" (in Slovenian). MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
"Film was awarded at Venice Film Festival 1952" (in Italian). labiennale.org. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
"Tomaž Tozon: Od Kekčeve pesmi do življenjskega priznanja" [Tomaž Tozon: from Kekec's theme song to the life achievement award] (in Slovenian). svet24.si. Retrieved 1 January 2017.

External links

Kekec on IMDb

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[1] "Kekec's 1951 plot from Slovenian Film Fund site in English". Slovenian Film Fund. Archived from the original on 10 October 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2017.

[2] "Kekec, slovenski filmski junak, ki je osvojil tudi Kitajsko" [Kekec: Slovenian film hero, who went to China] (in Slovenian). MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2 July 2011.

[3] "Kekec's Tricks in memory of the film father, director Jože Gale" (in Slovenian). MMC RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 11 May 2013.

[4] "Film was awarded at Venice Film Festival 1952" (in Italian). labiennale.org. Retrieved 1 January 2017.

[5] "Tomaž Tozon: Od Kekčeve pesmi do življenjskega priznanja" [Tomaž Tozon: from Kekec's theme song to the life achievement award] (in Slovenian). svet24.si. Retrieved 1 January 2017.