The journey of a dream
Stáhnout obrázek
Jaroslav Kratochvíl was born on December 7, 1943. He spent his childhood and youth in Světlá nad Sázavou with his parents and older brother. His father Josef‘s family owned a grenade grinding company. Father met his wife Andrée during a seven-year stay in France. They moved to Světlá nad Sázavou in 1937. The bilingual environment in which the witness grew up gave him an excellent knowledge of French. He completed his elementary schooling in Světlá nad Sázavou, his high school studies in Ledč nad Sázavou. He liked to do sports, played volunteer theater. He was not admitted to college because of his bourgeois background. After graduating, he trained as a mechanic at Královopolské strojírny in Brno, which was a far cry from his dream of becoming a radio journalist. Before the 1968 holidays, he successfully completed an interview with the Czechoslovak Radio, starting work in September. The August occupation by Warsaw Pact troops shattered this dream. After winning the Lady Radio Man literary competition, he was able to fulfill his desire for a short time. He only got interesting opportunities for creative work after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. He worked as an interpreter for French filmmakers, and later as a location manager for Czech producers as well. He worked as a dramaturg and producer, prepared programs for children and youth, and had his author‘s program „Film with a guest and a guest with a film“ at the Zahrada Cultural Center in Chodov, Prague. In 2022, Jaroslav Kratochvíl lived in Světlá nad Sázavou.
