22-02-2011

PRODUCTION: Therapy Goes to Postproduction

By Irena Zemanová

    Therapy, a 45-part Czech TV series produced by Czech HBO television (www.hbo.cz) and Stilking Films production company (www.stillking.com) finished its 95 day shoot on Saturday, 19 Febuary 2011 and goes to postproduction. Production began in September 2010. Therapy is the first TV series that HBO Czech Republic is backing as a main producer.

    Postproduction companies UPP (www.upp.cz ) and Soundsquare (www.soundsquare.cz) coproduced the project. The series was directed by several well-known Czech directors, including Petr Zelenka, Marek Najbrt and Jaroslav Fuit.

    Screenwriters Benjamin Tuček and Robert Geisler, both known for their work on the critically acclaimed Czech war movie Protector (2009, produced by Negativ, www.negativ.cz) wrote the screenplay for Therapy.

    "Our ambition is very simple. We wanted to make a TV serial that could easily compete with a full-length movie. Therapy is a relevant, dignified, demanding psycho-drama based on great dialogue, not action," Ondřej Zach, head of production and director of HBO Czech Republic, said of the project.

    The Czech remake of the popular American HBO´s TV Show In treatment, Therapy casts popular Czech actor Karel Roden as a nonconforming psychologist, who treats his patients with bizarre methods. Roden was present for all 95 days of shooting, which made Therapy the most demanding and longest project of his career.

    Czech actors Anna Geislerová, Lukáš Hejlík, Michaela Doubravová, and Martin Hofmann and Slovakia's Táňa Pauhofová play the part of Roden´s patients, while Slovak actress Kamila Magálová plays his older colleague and mentor. All actors performed in their native language, so that both Czech and Slovak language were employed in the series.

    Therapy in scheduled to be released in October 2011.

    Production contacts:

    Producer and HBO Director: Ondřej Zach

    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

    HBO Czech Republic

    Jankovcova 1037/49, 170 00 Praha 7

    Tel: +420 261 094 542

    Fax: +420 261 094 455