27/06/2019 - Juraj Bohuš’ dramedy, the first Slovakian production to have a “green shoot”, is eyeing distribution on US soil

The cast and crew of Stand Up on set, with director Juraj Bohuš second from left (© Tomáš Halász)

The road movie-cum-dramedy Stand Up has just been shot in Slovakia by emerging Slovakian director Juraj Bohuš, as his feature-length debut. Bohuš teaches at the film school at Webster University in St Louis, USA, which is also one of the co-production partners on the project. Stand Up follows the lead character, forty-something Mišo, who leaves his steady job behind only to fulfil his dream of being a professional stand-up comedian. However, he encounters many challenges that he was unprepared for while touring Slovakian cities.

According to producer Katarína Krnáčová, of Silverart, the film combines an “intimate story set in a local environment with the universal topic of searching for one’s identity”. “It is also a metaphor, depicting a parallel between the life of an individual and a small country in an international context,” explains the director, also noting that the picture won’t seek to address geopolitical issues. The script was written by Juraj Bohuš, Michaela Strnad and Matej Adámy, with Steven Goldsmith serving as script editor. DoP Juraj Chlpík, who lensed Juraj Lehotský’s Nina [+see also:
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film profile], was behind the camera, and principal photography took place during May and June. A number of popular domestic stand-up comics appear in the film.

Stand Up is a low-budget production with a price tag of roughly €360,000, and it is the first domestic movie to attempt a “green shoot”. “The idea of incorporating several green rules into my work in film was inspired by the activity and lectures organised by the Slovak Film Agency as part of the Green Screen project, of which the agency is an active member,” said Krnáčová. The project was supported by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, and secured backing from “private sources, including American partners, but also some from Slovakia and the Czech Republic,” explains the producer, adding that another reason for teaming up with a US partner was because they plan to distribute the movie across the pond. Krnáčová noted that the drama in the film is implied softly but clearly, and that the picture’s humour is based on situational comedy and is subtly inspired by the films of US director Alexander Payne.

Stand Up is being produced by Katarína Krnáčová, of Silverart, and co-produced by Ten Acre Films and Webster University (USA). The premiere is scheduled for next year.