We guess you have came to the flavour of stuntman job via sport, haven´t you?Was it around movie „Limonádový Joe“ in 1966, which is considered as a start for Czech stuntman business, or it was much later?

On contrary, sooner, would you believe.

In 1961 I was at a training camp of Czech judo team getting ready for European Championship and German film makers chose me to double some nazi officer falling off the stairs.They wanted judokas because they can fall.So I did that and they were satisfied.Soon after that I got a call from Film studio Barrandov, if I could do some stunt work like falling off the bike, jumping from big height, crashing a car or burning.I accepted and they wanted me to bring more and more judokas so we set up the whole stuntmen team.

Independently on our group there was another one set up to help shooting of „Limonadový Joe“.This group was led by boxer Jaroslav Tomsa and he had various sportsmen around him-athlets, footballers, boxers.We didn´t know about them and met while shooting next movie called „Konec agenta W4C“.Then our two groups were put together as one stuntmen team.I am really very pleased that I have met such a great bloke as Jaroslav Tomsa and we became very close friends.After Velvet Revolution Tomsa established his stunt company Filmka and he wished me to join him but at that time I went my own way.I quit stuntjob and in 1991 establihed my own production company J.B.J. Film and from then onwards I devoted my time only to writing scripts and producing my films.

What did you like at stuntmen job?Adrenalin or magic of film business.Were there more stuntmen groups apart those already mentioned?

I love film and I really enjoyed doing something that most of the people can´t.In film business I have great deal of friends and buddies.Apart Filmka there we more groups,one of them was Ipon of Jiří Kuba and Double team of Luděk Jelen.

Till Velvet revolution have you done stunt job as profession or as a hobby?

Stunt job was never my job but full time hobby.

You acted in many movies but starred only once in“ Cesta peklem“ for which you wrote a script.Did you want to show spectators what is it like to be a stuntman and pay them kind of tribute or you wanted to be starring in a film so only way how to do it was- write it for yourself? 

I never wanted to be an actor, although I knew I have to act as a stuntman.My friends from stunt job persuaded me into writing stories and memories which they thought would be wasted if forgotten.One of the radio editors wanted me to write a play for radio about stunt job.I thought it would be a crap but I wrote it just to show him it has no balls and sense but to my utter surprise it won a price as the Best act of the year and I was awarded.Then came screenplay for „ Cesta peklem“ but there was no way I wanted to star in it. There were other actors but director insisted on my starring which was crazy for me, cos my main job as producer was to obtain money.They lacked the whole time of shooting so I was in constant stress.I acted in about 400 movies in all and was starring in few, mainly for foreign companies.I never lusted for starring in the film, so I was basically forced into doing so.

Stuntman is dangerous job.And what about producers job?Or is it all calculated so well that is  m u s t  be a success?

Producers job in Czech film industry is very very difficult and it is risky in all aspects.It is the right adrenalin with great danger of going completely bust.

What is the difference between having a production company in Czecho or abroad?Could you give us brief guidance how does it work from word go until counting millions on the bank account( in the best case).What do you have to do?

Main difference is amount of citizens of given state from which amount of spectators is derived.The bigger state, the better situation.Good producer is responsible for everything, so you can´t pin point one special thing.Of course, there are bunch of producers who don´t think about their job in same way and care only about finding fundings.Sadly in Czech Republic the films with social undertone with great chance of being a flop has greater chance in obtaining grants from State fund of from Czech TV.To me it is great paradox. Specially when such film flops badly in box office the it is labelled as“ artistic film“.In my view there is only „ good“ film or „ bad“ film, why label them as „ artistic“ or „ commercial „  it has no reason.

You produced a film „ Kájínek“ which was supposeed to be directed by somebody else.When it failed your son took the mantle and directed it himself and it was hit critically and in box office, too.As far as we know, your son has no film education so wasn´t it bit risky to put your money into business which had rookie director?

You are right, it was very risky but it paid off.My son not only wrote a scrip and persuaded us about the way he wants to do it.He was very experiencd from working abroad.I think from my life experience that Film academy doesn´t make good film director and Theatre academy won´t make good actor.

According to which criteria do you choose the film stories- only with box office success in mind or also how original the topic is and how is it to be made, which can push you forward artistically?

It is based upon my feelings and interest about given topic.It must take our interest and entertain us for many years.We also have to know why we wanna shoot it and what do we wanna tell or show spectators.If we want to give them a topic for thinking.In the case of our new film „ Ghoul“ it was very brave step from my son since he had to film a topic which spectators don´t look for very often, do it in English and 3D, it was big test of his stamina. 

Movie Ghoul is successful even abroad.Do you hope that you will become a leading European film company employing big film stars or you will be big fish in small Czech pond but you will be more free and independent which is a dream of every film maker?

It is vison of future and I don´t wanna speculate about it at the moment.Fact is that movies „Kajínek“ and „ Ghoul“ opened foreign doors for us and we got many offers not only for directors but also for cooperation with our film company.Our current main task is to film a movie about Jan Žižka from time before he became a famous Hussites leader.And also then we have further projects about my life and stuntman job which I wanna shoot.