Il Boemo, by the Czech director Petr Vaclav, is an Italian-Czech-Slovakian co-production, set almost entirely and filmed in Italy. Travelling through the architectural and landscape beauties of four Italian regions, Veneto, Sicily, Liguria and Lombardy, the film reconstructs the adventures of Josef Myslivecek (Vojtech Dyk), known in Italy as 'the Bohemian', one of the 18th century’s most sought-after composers, in demand from courts and theatres, who came to Venice from Prague to follow his ambition.
Vaclav recounts his climb to success and paints a vibrant detailed fresco of aristocratic society in the second half of 1700s, a world in transformation that heralds the imminent "Romantic" era. Josef writes for great singers, travels to the Republics and courts of the Bel Paese, is an inspiration and friend to the young Mozart, frequents many women who help him make a career, but truly loves only one, an impossible love. The artist is destined to burn out, but his music, even if long forgotten, remains and continues to resonate.
Like a modern-day Grand Tour, the crew toured the Veneto region, between Thiene Castle in Vicenza, Villa Chiminelli in Castelfranco Veneto (Treviso), Villa da Schio in Castelgomberto (Vicenza), Villa Ghellini dell’Olmo in Villaverla (Vicenza) and the canals of Venice, where a gondola reconstructed from those depicted in Canaletto’s paintings was used.
In Sicily, recognizable locations include the historic hall of Palazzo Alliata di Pietratagliata, monumental Villa Wirz and the uncontaminated landscape of the Madonie mountains, all in the Palermo area.
Liguria is represented by the locations of Palazzo Negrone in Genoa, Villa Gavotti in Albisola Superiore (Savona) and Palazzo Clavarino.
Many of the musical scenes took place inside the Teatro Sociale in Como, employing 150 crew, actors, singers and musicians.
Il Boemo, by the Czech director Petr Vaclav, is an Italian-Czech-Slovakian co-production, set almost entirely and filmed in Italy. Travelling through the architectural and landscape beauties of four Italian regions, Veneto, Sicily, Liguria and Lombardy, the film reconstructs the adventures of Josef Myslivecek (Vojtech Dyk), known in Italy as 'the Bohemian', one of the 18th century’s most sought-after composers, in demand from courts and theatres, who came to Venice from Prague to follow his ambition.
Vaclav recounts his climb to success and paints a vibrant detailed fresco of aristocratic society in the second half of 1700s, a world in transformation that heralds the imminent "Romantic" era. Josef writes for great singers, travels to the Republics and courts of the Bel Paese, is an inspiration and friend to the young Mozart, frequents many women who help him make a career, but truly loves only one, an impossible love. The artist is destined to burn out, but his music, even if long forgotten, remains and continues to resonate.
Like a modern-day Grand Tour, the crew toured the Veneto region, between Thiene Castle in Vicenza, Villa Chiminelli in Castelfranco Veneto (Treviso), Villa da Schio in Castelgomberto (Vicenza), Villa Ghellini dell’Olmo in Villaverla (Vicenza) and the canals of Venice, where a gondola reconstructed from those depicted in Canaletto’s paintings was used.
In Sicily, recognizable locations include the historic hall of Palazzo Alliata di Pietratagliata, monumental Villa Wirz and the uncontaminated landscape of the Madonie mountains, all in the Palermo area.
Liguria is represented by the locations of Palazzo Negrone in Genoa, Villa Gavotti in Albisola Superiore (Savona) and Palazzo Clavarino.
Many of the musical scenes took place inside the Teatro Sociale in Como, employing 150 crew, actors, singers and musicians.
Venice, 1764. Josef is a young musician who has come to Italy from Prague to become an opera composer. He leads a precarious life while trying to break into the top musical circles. At a masquerade ball he meets an aristocratic libertine who introduces him to the luxurious and worldly pleasures of Venice’s refined society. His talent does not go unnoticed and, thanks to the support of his new influential friends, Josef obtains an extraordinary commission: to write an opera for the Teatro San Carlo, performed by the greatest singers of the time. It will be a resounding success and in just a few years he becomes one of the most prolific and sought-after composers of the time.
