Publication details
The (In)Sufficient Life of 'Kolonka': Improvised Third Places of the Kudlov's Film Community in Czechoslovakia (1936-1969)
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | EASTERN EUROPEAN SCREEN STUDIES |
| Citation | |
| web | https://doi.org/10.1080/29974828.2025.2501438 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1080/29974828.2025.2501438 |
| Keywords | Kudlov film studios; Czechoslovak film industry; nationalized film industry; the third places; actor-network theory; studio lot; urbanism |
| Description | After WW2, several phenomena shaped the Czechoslovak town of Zlín and the nearby village Kudlov. These included shoe production under the famous Bata brand, specific functionalist architecture, and the local film industry. The area of Kudlov Film Studios (FS Kudlov) is a rich source of data for researching its film professionals' community. The residential area named 'Kolonka' surrounding FS Kudlov was built purely for Czechoslovak film, creating homes for the studios' filmmakers. This text aims to present a part of the dissertation research using the concepts of Ray Oldenburg, current knowledge about the architecture of film studios, and principles of the Actor-Network Theory. The time-frame stretches from 1936 to 1969. The findings reveal that one of the most important factors is functional overlap among the first (home), the second (workplace), and the third (inclusive spaces for socialisation) places as presented in Oldenburg's works. The geographical isolation of the area substantially strengthened the connection between the studio complex and the adjacent residential area. This study examines the issue through the agency of Latourian non-human actors, which are the places themselves. Key sources were interviews with workers/inhabitants, historical housing records, and architectural plans. One of the outcomes are visualizations of historical situations. |
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