CZECH DREAM (ČESKÝ SEN) (2003)
Sunday, May 31st, 2009Artists are always looking for new strategies to communicate their message. On this day in 2003, the grand opening of the “ČESKÝ SEN (Czech Dream)” was staged. Two “student” filmmakers had created a nation-wide advertising campaign selling to the Czech public a hypermarket called “Czech Dream”. The only thing was that it didn’t exist! The grand opening attracted thousands of people… and their documentary crew filmed on.
“… Czech Dream has been called a hoax, a sociological experiment, a “provocumentary,” and a “documockmentary,” among other things. As far as I know, though, it has not yet directly been referenced as a culture jam or an adbust…” – Stephen Harris, Bright Lights film journal
The documentary raises interesting questions about today’s nature of consumerism, advertising and the manipulation power of the media. Here’s are some excerpts from the grand opening:
And here’s the “official trailer”
