# The Prince and the Evening Star

The Prince and the Evening Star (Czech: Princ a Večernice) is a 1978 Czechoslovak coming-of-age fantasy film produced by the Barrandov Studios.

## Background

Film based on short story O Slunečníku, Měsíčníku a Větrníku (Of Sunlight, Moonlight and Windmill) in the work collection of author Božena Němcová in the XIX century.

## Plot

Old King has a son Velen and three daughters as Helenka, Elenka, Lenka. They were all very young and had nothing to do but play and sleep every day.
However, one day the King leaves Velen to temporarily run the country. That is one night, while Velen wishes upon the Evening Star, hoping to find grooms for his three sisters, and Evening Star delivers her three brothers, Sunbeam, Moonbeam and Windbeam. Meanwhile, Velen falls in love with the Evening Star. The King is dissatisfied with Velen's actions and wants Velen to bring his sisters back. They quarrel each other, and Velen leaves the castle on a quest to retrieve his sisters, as well as find the object of his affection, Evening Star. He set off in a hurry without much thought and without knowing where to start.
Velen has to face many dangers on his journey without end, including being endangered by the evil wizard Mrakomor ("cloudbreaker", a personification of storm) who wants to marry Evening Star. Velen had to stand alone to fight against the traps of this hidden enemy, but with the help from his brothers in law. After all, he then returns home with bride Evening Star and his sisters, accompanied by their husbands.
Finally, Velen is allowed to marry Evening Star.

## Production

Exterior shots were staged in summer 1978 at castles Ploskovice, Hrádek u Nechanic, Krakovec and especially the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks.
* Ploskovice as the "royal castle"
* Hrádek u Nechanic as the "royal hallway"
* Adršpach-Teplice Rocks as the "Death way"
* Adršpach-Teplice Rocks as the "Death woods"
* Krakovec as the "Death castle"

### Cast
#### Main

* Juraj Ďurdiak as Prince Velen
* Libuše Šafránková as Princess Večernice the Evening Star
* Julie Jurištová as Princess Helenka
* Zlata Adamovská as Princess Elenka
* Ivana Andrlová as Princess Lenka
* Oldřich Táborský as Vetrník the Windbeam, Helenka's spouse
* Alexej Okuněv as Mesícník the Moonbeam, Elenka's spouse
* Petr Svoboda as Slunecník the Sunbeam, Lenka's spouse
* Radoslav Brzobohatý as Mrakomor the Wizard

#### Support

* František Filipovský as Kacafírek the Clown
* Vladimír Menšík as the Old King
* Cestmír Randa as the innkeeper
* Rudolf Jelínek as Cestmír the Knight
* Viktor Maurer as the porker
* Karel Augusta as the blind man
* Ladislav Brothánek as the strapper
* Václav Lohniský as the retired captain
* Vladimír Krska as the hunchback
* Ladislav Trojan as the groom
* Jirí Lír as the armless man
* Milos Vavruska as the servant

#### Voiceover

* Petr Svojtka as Prince Velen
* Miroslav Moravec as the Windbeam
* Miroslav Masopust as the Moonbeam
* Mirko Musil as the strapper

### Crew

* Music by Svatopluk Havelka
* Cinematography by Josef Illík
* Editing by Miroslav Hájek
* Production design by Karel Lier
* Set decoration by Eva Slívová
* Costume design by Theodor Pistek
* Makeup department by Jirina Bisingerová (makeup artist), Jiri Hurych (key makeup artist)
* Production management by Jirí Krejcí (production manager), Premysl Prazský (production manager), Vera Winkelhöferová (unit manager)

## Influence

The film was quickly received by audiences from many countries during the heyday of fantasy and horror films. It was shown in Italian cinemas in 1982 and was soon released in West Germany in VHS format.
In Asia, it has become a novel cinematic phenomenon for mainland China and Vietnam, which have adopted its poetics to form a completely new cinematic movement.