Czech Republic / 2017 / 83’
Director: Olga Sommerova
Producer: Pavel Bercik
Director of Photography: Olga Špatova
Scriptwriter: Olga Sommerova
Editing: Jakub Hejna
Sound: Petr Provaznik, Eliška Bejckova, Richard Müller, Petr Provaznik, Petr Kapeller
Olga Sommerová’s feature-length documentary about the world-famous opera singer and actress Soňa Červená is the story of a woman whose humble history, private and public life was influenced by the great events of 20th century Europe. Červená’s artistic career includes a hundred opera roles in five thousand performances on the stages of six continents. Tragedy struck her family after the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, with the Gestapo sending Soňa’s father to Terezín and her mother to the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Following the communist coup, Soňa’s mother was arrested and sent to Pankrác prison where she died after three days. Wrapping up a career of forty years in the opera, Soňa Červená joined up with American director Robert Wilson in the prestigious Thalia theatre in Hamburg to perform in musicals by Tom Waits and Lou Reed. After returning to her homeland at the age of 77, she began her second Czech career, having performed so far five operas in the National Theatre.
Not only her worldwide artistic career but her moral integrity makes Soňa Červená a great woman of the Czech nation.