Prague to Princeton, University to celebrate Czech food, cinema

A five-day festival celebrating Czech cinema and food will seek to educate the University community on what organizers see as a little-known but incredibly rich culture.

Initiated by members of last year's freshman seminar titled "Prague, Vienna, and Cultures of Central Europe," the week began last night with a viewing of a documentary highlighting the seminar's trip to Czechoslovakia.

Associate Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures Mirjam Fried and her seminar students realized the importance of gaining firsthand exposure to Czech culture last year when they journeyed to the country as part of their course work.

"The Festival became part of the planning for the trip itself," Fried said. "Under my guidance, [students] prepared a detailed study plan and itinerary for a week-long trip to specific places, created a budget, and included a plan for organizing a Czech Festival upon return, because they felt from the beginning that sharing their experience with the rest of the Princeton community was as important as taking the trip."

Fried said the entire team behind the project sees Czech culture as a distinct, very rich and important part of European historical and cultural heritage dating back centuries.

"The Czech culture offers a well-known and highly respected cinematic tradition, a rich and fascinating literature, a vibrant musical scene that includes classical, jazz and folk music, as well as architectural treasures worth knowing and studying," Fried said.

A self-proclaimed strong believer in cultivating intercultural literacy, Fried said she hopes students will take away a broader understanding of world literature to better understand what different cultural aspects we all share.

"It is extremely important in today's world to be able to appreciate differences without dismissing them, to learn from the experiences of other nations and cultures, and I see these events as a step in teaching the basics of such understanding," Fried said.

The Czech population on campus is fairly small, Fried said, but she hopes that by initiating an event like this festival she and her students will be able to gain understanding for Czech culture among Princeton community members.

As of now, Fried is in the early stages of planning similar events here at Princeton, including possible trips. She is gaining broader interest and understanding from the students currently enrolled in her freshman seminar that is being taught this semester.

Events for the week will continue through Friday and will include showings of the movies "Rebelove," "Daisies," "Koyla," and "Divided We Fall" — the movies will be shown in the Rocky-Mathey Theater on Tuesday night and McCosh 46 for the rest of the week.

In addition, Food for Thought in the Frist Campus Center's food court will feature Czech food on Wednesday and Thursday. There will also be a booth set up on the 100 level of Frist to further aid in promoting Czech culture until Friday.