Amerika (Jan Foukal, 2015): Czech Republic

Reviewed by Vincenzo Muia at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2016. Lobero Theater.

In Amerika (Jan Foukal, 2015), writer and director Jan Foukal, in his feature length debut, stars as Honza, who, along with Bara (Barbara Adler), who embark on a journey of “tramping”. Defined as a local movement birthed in the forests of the Czech Republic approximately 100 years ago, it drew inspiration from the Czech perception of the American Wild West culture as a means to reconnect with a society celebrating individual freedom and open air.

A documentary film whose narrative was conveyed through situational reconstructions, the film revolves around the journeys of two protagonists, Honza and Bara. While meeting on a train, Honza is seeking an escape from the responsibilities of city life while Bara, a Canadian national of Czech heritage, is seeking a unique link to her heritage through the storied Czech tramps that inhabit the surrounding forests. Upon their journey to the backwoods gathering of unifed tramps, Honza and Bara encounter an unusal assortment of  tramps, notably “Pirate”, who helps Honza and Bara navigate a small river via a rickety floatation device relying on empty plastic bottles. Their journey also introduces the audience to a full time tramper, a woman affectionately referred to as the “Mushroom Lady” because of her mushroom gathering expertise. The protagonists finally reach their destination and discover a society unifed by a common ideology of a free world within their own country.  At the gathering,  the freshness of the open air is filled with songs celebrating freedom encouraged by alcohol. A ceremonious roll call to fallen tramps helps keep the spirit of tramping alive. The gathering plays as a convention, exchanging pins of symbolism and community. Much of the mise-en-scene in the film consists of natural setting and light, including a brilliant scene featuring a glorious fire whirl.  The costuming mostly consists of green-color based clothing, as a show of respect to the natural surroundings. However, Bara is featured in Western attire as a tribute to the movement’s original ideology.

The film was called “Amerika” because America symbolized a free state of mind. According to director Jan Foukal, it was spelled with a “k” because the ideology was similar to America but different. A micro-budget film, there was a minimal crew used for filming: 2 cameramen, sound,  and assistant. This film, of friendship and bonds, is similar to camping films such as Stand by Me (Rob Reiner, 1986), in which the journey is more profound than the destination. To fully appreciate this film, I would have to travel to the Czech Republic and experience the political and social freedom from a history Russian and German influence.