Czech Radio's drama Mr. Theodor Mundstock won at the Grand Prix Nova Festival
The binaurally recorded radio drama based on the novel by Ladislav Fuks, Mr. Theodor Mundstock, won at the Grand Prix Nova international festival in Bucharest, Romania. The Czech Radio work won the Best Binaural Drama award.
"Winning at this prestigious festival is a significant success and is a further proof that the work of Czech Radio is highly acclaimed even in international competition. It is also an appreciation of the work of all radio colleagues who contributed to the creation of this extraordinary drama," said René Zavoral, Director General of Czech Radio.
In his novel, Ladislav Fuks captures the transformation of the psychological state of a man driven by society and his own fear. Even though the story is set in the period of World War II, it seems to remind us of our contemporary fears and warns us of what they can provoke in a person. "Although the play depicts the story of a particular person, it reflects a deeply human experience, independent of place or membership of any group," says Zuzana Sikačová, the play's dramaturg.
The radio adaptation offers an audio representation of what goes on in a person's head. The multi-layered binaural sound helps the listener to perceive the world through the protagonist, or rather the inner thoughts and confusion going on inside him.
The radio dramatisation was written by Lenka Veverková, and director Aleš Vrzák cast Vladimír Javorský in the lead role of Mr Theodor Mundstock. The sound design was done by Tomáš Pernický and Jan Trojan, the music by Ester Grohová and Jan Trojan. The play was premiered by Czech Radio Vltava in September 2023.
Grand Prix Nova is an international competition festival focused on innovative radio artworks. An innovative approach is considered to be one in which the creators convey their message through exploratory technical and aesthetic approaches.