Documentary film studies were a part of the Department of Direction since the beginnings of FAMU. They separated in 1961, in particular as a result of the activities of Antonín F. Šulc. Ever since the beginning, the teachers were prominent authors who shaped the Czech film and TV documentary genre and pedagogy (such as Jiří Lehovec).

The development of the documentary and journalistic film and in particular TV genres resulted in the need for bringing up comprehensively educated and prepared author and director personalities. The Department would go through various phases of its development in connection with what the political and social demand dictated in terms of raising documentary authors. The relatively liberal period of the 1960s gave way to the 1970s when there were strong efforts at forcing the requirements of the “normalising” society upon the curricula, student assignments and teaching staff. There was a “thaw” in the latter half of the 1980 when nonconformist (by the period standard) films and topics started to appear. After November 1989, the Department underwent a gradual transformation into its current form where documentary film is understood as a specific artistic discipline involving a wide range of approaches to filmmaking, with emphasis on authors’ films.

Hands-on studies are complemented by theory subjects aimed at learning and education in art science and arts, and specialised seminars developing both analytical and creative abilities.

Exercises form a substantial part of the studies, allowing students to master specialised skills, gain experience and match their knowledge to that of their fellow students of other FAMU subjects. The goal of the study is to raise independently thinking creative personalities able to earn the general public’s respect and interest in the presented topics and issues with their work and attitude.

CURRENT TEACHERS

Prof. Mgr. Rudolf Adler, Doc. Miroslav Janek, MgA. Vít Klusák, Mgr. Petr Kubica, Doc. Martin Mareček, RNDr. MgA. Alice Růžičková, Ing. MgA. Martin Řezníček, MgA. Jan Šípek, MgA. Lukáš Kokeš, PhD. Lucie Králová, Prof. Helena Třeštíková a Prof. Karel Vachek.

GRADUATES CONTINUING THEIR OWN WORK SUCCESSFULLY

Ladislav Cmíral, Mira Erdevički, Jiří Fedurco, Fero Fenič, Daniela Gébová, Tomáš Hejtmánek, Erika Hníková, Jan Gogola jr., Vít Janeček, Štěpán Kačírek, Vít Klusák, Tereza Kopáčová, Petr Kotek, Vladislav Kvasnička, Ivo Macharáček, Andrea Majstorovič, Vladimír Michálek, Jan Mudra, Marek Najbrt, Zdeněk Podskalský, Marián Polák, Irena Pavlásková, Šárka Pavlicová, Viktor Polesný, Viliam Poltikovič, Oskar Reif, Theodora Remundová, Filip Renč, Janek Růžička, Robert Sedláček, Marek Sklář, Petr Slavík, Dagmar Smržová, Jakub Sommer, Olga Sommerová, Marek Straka, Jan Svěrák, Jan Šikl, Vlastimil Šimůnek, Pavel Štingl, Martin Štoll, Václav Táborský, Helena Třeštíková, Petr Václav, Markéta Válková, Bohuslav (Woody) Vašulka, Roman Vávra, Kamila Vondrová, Dan Wlodarczyk, Ivan Zachariáš, Andrzej Zajaczkowski, Petr Zahrádka, Stanislav Zeman, Karel Žalud a další.