Weekend Choice LGBTI Activism Already Existed Before Austria-Hungary

Nice weekend! Exactly 75 years ago, communists took power in Czechoslovakia The February coup brought terror, thousands of innocent people ended up in prisons.

Among them the future priest Anton Srholec and the poet Jan Zahradníček Their authentic testimonies were found in the archives of the Leopoldov prison by reporter Peter Getting.

The writings and diaries of Imrich Matyáš, who was born at the end of the 19th century, prove that LGBTI+ life and activism existed on our territory more than a hundred years ago The public did not know about this first Slovak activist for the equal rights of LGBTI+ people for a long time.

Reporter Michal Dudoň brings his story Colleague Kristína Kúdelová spoke with the Norwegian director Erik Poppe, whose new film Emigranti is currently in our cinemas.

What is his view of contemporary and historical emigration? And why should you think how to help emigrants? We also bring you a report from the filming of the new film We Finally Have a Republic, which will present one czech-slovak family and its coming to terms with the controversial past of one of its members Whether it is possible to talk about the topic of cooperation with the ŠtB with insight and kindness, its creators also talk about that.

The communist putsch in February 1948 filled the prisons with thousands of innocent victims "We walked everywhere blindfolded I got to Leopoldov, to the old mill, they asked if I knew where I was.

I was alone in the cell, it was so wide that I spread my arms and touched the walls When there was an investigation and people were screaming and being beaten, they played very loud music in the corridor.

Everything came crashing down on me, I was convinced that this was just a misunderstanding, it couldn't be like this, but after all, I have never hurt anyone in my life Authentic testimony belongs to one of the thousands of people who found themselves behind bars after the communist putsch in February 1948.

Anton Srholec, a future well-known priest and humanist, was arrested as a young man The file from his imprisonment is today in the Archives of the Corps of Prison and Judicial Guards in Leopoldov.

Leopoldovská prison had the reputation of being the worst Czechoslovak prison After the Communists took over, it was no longer a normal prison, in addition to criminals, political prisoners were imprisoned here.

The so-called Leopold mill was famous here, it was there that the prisoners were interrogated in a brutal way by scoundrels "Among the practices were night interrogations, beatings during interrogations with subsequent fractures and serious injuries, significant reductions in food rations, isolation for various periods of time, humiliation and arbitrary orders to squat, squat, duck march until the prisoner dropped, denial of medical care," mentions Juraj Hladký for SME, who wrote the monograph The Story of Leopoldov - the history and present of the fortress and prison with a group of authors.

The first Slovak LGBTI+ activist fought for the decriminalization of homosexuality a hundred years ago he was also very critical of politicians," says historian Jana Jablonická-Zezulová, who has been researching the life of Imrich Matyáš for several years.

The public did not know about this first Slovak activist for the equal rights of LGBTI+ people for a long time The diaries and writings of Matyáš, who was born at the end of the 19th century, are considered by historians to be valuable period material.

They prove that LGBTI+ activism and life already existed in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, in the first Czechoslovak Republic and during fascism and socialism Erik Poppe: It is necessary for conservatives to be exposed to people with different lifestyles When he was young, his mother abandoned him.

He felt that he was still safe because his father was not only caring but also empathetic Therefore, he considers empathy and the ability to ask simple questions to be an exceptional weapon, thanks to which you can easily change the life not only of yourself, but also of others.

A few years ago, he made an almost unbearable film For an hour and a half, teenage children ran away from the camera and were shot furiously by Anders Breivik.

He succeeded in making audiences around the world feel the tragic consequences of right-wing extremism After the drama Utøya on July 22, the Norwegian director Erik Poppe has the film Emigrants, the story of the Swedes, in cinemas.

who traveled to the United States during the Great Famine "Today it seems to us that there are many emigrants and that we do not need them.

It is not so We need people from other communities.

It is necessary for the health of society that the supporters of conservative and traditional ideas about the world are confronted with new ideas and people with a different way of life There will always be people who are forced to leave their homes, that must be accepted.

People are on the move, the world is on the move Our only duty is to think about how to help emigrants and how to integrate them," he says in an interview with SME.

The skeletons in the closet will test family relationships The filmmakers open up a difficult topic, but they also try to be humorous.

Behind the festively laid table sit the famous actors themselves Anna Šišková, Judit Bárdos, Jana Kovalčíková, Daniel Fischer, Dávid Hartl and their Czech colleagues Eva Holubová and Jan Budař.

And the young Canadian actress Rachel Kramer is also sitting there Ady Hajdu will join them in a moment.

That's already within the filmed scene It's sunny February 2023, but New Year's Eve 1992 is being celebrated in the villa on Bratislava's Palisades.

And it's really busy there But not for celebration, filmmakers oscillate through the maze of corridors and rooms with high ceilings.

Everyone is watching carefully as the Varchal family welcomes the independent republic, mourns the common Czechoslovakia and has to cope with the unpleasant secret of their member We finally have a republic in the film shot by debuting Slovak director Michal Kunes Kováč.

Hajda is played by Daniela, and when he enters the room, he says dejectedly: "I worked with the ŠtB" Holubová, who plays his mother, walks up to him and offers him a seat at the table.

Šišková, in the role of his wife, embraces him crying, regretting why he didn't tell her anything She was worried that he had a lover.

The subject of the film sounds difficult But the screenwriter Tomáš Dušička, who also wrote the successful comedy Invalid, says that there is no lack of humor in the film We finally have a republic.

"The topic of Public Safety is still not fully processed in our country and many people have not yet come to terms with it Nevertheless, we did not want to make a social drama and build the topic as something insurmountable and gloomy, with which nothing can be done.

We wanted to lighten it up and look at it from a human point of view, through the eyes of a family, and present it with as much kindness as possible," she explains They will do anything just to be noticed by others.

They will calmly destroy their face and health Signe is not the case of a YouTuber who would she built her self-presentation, albeit on banalities.

In a movie called I'm sick of myself The distributor is promoting the film as a black non-romantic comedy.

It's a matter of perspective The director claims that everything in his film is based on observations, although it is exaggerated as a result.

He combines elements of body horror with humor and satire and that his goal was to create a beautiful film that talks about terrible things He begins his narration confusingly, as if it were a romantic movie.

Two partners in a fine restaurant, where the man ordered an expensive wine for his partner to celebrate her birthday However, that relationship quickly turns out to be stable, but full of inattention, selfishness, envy and unhealthy competition.

Wear this, he tells his wife and then brutally rapes her The Pavla Országh Hviezdoslav Theater, which as a new city scene only recently started its first half-season, staged the renewed premiere of the production Beware, Julia.

In a new playing area, in a new cast, but, unfortunately, also with significant shortcomings The strong and current topic is more of a guide in the theatrical version of how not to talk about domestic violence.

Róbert bought Julia expensive gifts, surrounded her with luxury, and when he wanted to, he could be extremely charming His terror began innocently.

Sometimes he sent his wife to change because she shouldn't go to work with a cleavage He later accused her of keeping secrets from him and finally locked her in the house during the pandemic, hiding her keys and phone from her.

The blows alternated between manipulation and intimidation, and escape from this trap seemed impossible However, Julia found an ally in someone from whom she would never have expected help.

Cultural tips Concert for Ukraine, organized by the Pohoda festival, the photo exhibition Year of Invincibility will commemorate the year since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Bratislava and express belonging and solidarity with our eastern neighbor Where for culture from February 24 to March 3? Weekend recipe Wasps' nests, cakes, tarts and sourdough cakes.

Scent your weekend with goodies with cinnamon Weekend quiz How closely did you follow the events of the last week? Test yourself in our quiz.

Thank you for spending part of your weekend with SME We wish you a successful start to next week and see you again on Saturday.

Weekend quiz How closely did you follow the events of the last week? Test yourself in our quiz Thank you for spending part of your weekend with SME.

We wish you a successful start to next week and see you again on Saturday Weekend quiz How closely did you follow the events of the last week? Test yourself in our quiz.

Thank you for spending part of your weekend with SME We wish you a successful start to next week and see you again on Saturday.

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