HIGH TATRAS

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 17th Year

Issue

Issue No.

3

Date Released

Nov 1963

Length of issue (in feet)

892

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1LINE UP
2. 2HIGH TATRAS
3. 3KENT’S BEST
4. 4TREE SHIFT

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: a Czech mining couple on holiday at Stary Smokovits in the High Tatras
NCB Commentary - On their way to Old Smoky - or Stary Smokovits as it is properly called - Czechoslovak miners and their wives, bound for a holiday in this resort in the High Tatras mountains.
At the Station, Slovak countrypeople mingle with holidaymakers - it might be in the Tirol.
The High Tatras is a National Park - a detached outpost of the Alps.
The Miners have a Rest Home here - the Budovatel - which is in fact an Hotel to which they can come free of charge.
The Manageress knows them all.
These two are Jan Backs and his wife Susanna.
Both work in mining - at the Modrykamen brown coal mine in Southern Slovakia. He is a norm-setter, working out stints and prices to pay for them. His wife manages one of the two pit canteens - the smaller one for apprentices.
Jan has been in the industry for 13 years and was specially trained for the job he does. Before that he was in the famous Skoda works.
For the record, a cigarette in Czechoslovakia is pretty cheap.
They could have come here with their children - but one of the great advantages in this country is that it is made possible to get away for once in awhile on your own ... while your children go out to one of the many camps for young people which are run throughout the summer.
This camp is on the Berounka River and don’t they take advantage of it!
'Pioneer Camp’ - the notice reads - scout-camp, we might say, but there is no exact word for it. Well-supervised, but free and easy as they come - a children’s world.
Miles away, Jan and Susanna can relax in the sunshine too - and watch the world go by - and perhaps treat themselves to an old Smokovits smoked cheese.
For those who want to see whether there’s sunshine up the mountain too there’s a funicular.
But the cloud is down - and today they’re out of luck.
It won’t lift now before tomorrow.
But there’s many a day of sunshine to come.

Keywords

Entertainment and leisure; Children; Domestic life; Mining

Locations

Czechoslovakia; Tatra mountains

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The British National Film Catalogue   Vol.2 1964, p.55
The National Archives COAL 32   /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963

Credits:

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Production Co.

National Coal Board Film Unit