<div><strong>Help bring the extraordinary story of Bohuslav Martinů to new audiences</strong>

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<div>In 1941, one of Europe's most distinctive composers arrived in New York with almost nothing.

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<div>Bohuslav Martinů had fled Nazi-occupied France and crossed the Atlantic with his wife, Charlotte, to begin a new life. He barely spoke English. New York was overwhelming — vast, unfamiliar, and full of uncertainty. For a while, the once so prolific composer fell silent.

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<div>But from that displacement came some of the most remarkable music of his life: his First Symphony, a soaring Violin Concerto, and chamber works that combined Czech folk memory with the energy of his new American surroundings. Far from home, Martinů found a new artistic voice.

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<div>A Bohemian in New York is a 20-minute documentary about Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů and his years of exile in the United States.

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<div>Blending fact, fiction, and anecdotes, the film brings to life his journey through an unfamiliar world, where displacement slowly transforms into inspiration.

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<div>Produced exclusively with generative video tools, the film explores how Martinů found a new artistic voice while remaining rooted in his Czech identity.

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<div><strong>Why I Am Making This Film</strong>

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<div>This film follows <i>Martinů’s Muse</i>, my award-winning documentary short about the composer’s childhood in Polička, Bohemia, expanding the story from his early years in Bohemia to his transformative years in America.

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<div>I have spent 28 years working as a creative professional in Hong Kong and am now based in the Netherlands. Martinů’s story has long resonated with me — particularly his remarkable ability to reinvent his musical voice while staying deeply rooted in his identity.

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<div>I am drawn to the sincerity, authenticity, and emotional depth of Martinů’s music. His life reflects a universal experience: leaving behind what is familiar, adapting to a new world, and discovering new possibilities.

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<div><strong>Why Martinů Matters Today</strong>

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<div>Martinů is highly respected by musicians and scholars, yet he remains less familiar to many listeners than composers such as Bartók or Stravinsky. That is beginning to change.

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<div>Around the world, conductors, orchestras, and festivals are rediscovering his symphonies, concertos, chamber works, and operas. New audiences are discovering a composer whose music feels remarkably fresh and personal.

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<div><strong>A Poetic Approach to Visual Storytelling</strong>

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<div>Martinů's American years were never captured on film. But we do have photos. This documentary transforms archival photographs into a living cinematic experience, using generative AI to evoke the inner world of an artist in exile. <strong>The Bohuslav Martinů Institute</strong> will be providing expert background advice to help ensure the project's historical accuracy.

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<div>For example, the film will explore stories such as the night when local police found Martinů wandering the streets and suspected him of being a German spy. Or the touching story of Martinů and Charlotte caring for a whip-poor-will bird, whose distinctive call inspired a musical work. Generative AI makes it possible to evoke these moments in a way that would otherwise be impossible within a micro-budget documentary. Used thoughtfully, it can become a tool for imagination and emotional storytelling.

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<div><strong>Transformative Use of Music</strong>

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<div>Music is at the heart of this film. We will use excerpts from Martinů’s compositions in a transformative way along side newly recorded music in a soundscape designed to illuminate the emotional and artistic themes of his journey. The film will introduce audiences to the richness of Martinů’s musical world while showing how his American experience transformed his creative voice.

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<div><strong>How Your Support Gets Used</strong>

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<div>This is a micro-budget production. Kees is contributing his director’s and editor’s time at no charge to the campaign. <strong>Your contribution funds the work that cannot be done for free.</strong>

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<div>Whether you give €25, €50, €250, or more, every donation helps cover the essential costs that bring this film from an idea to reality. Contributions of at least <b>€100</b> will be recognized with a <b>Donor credit</b> in the film’s end credits.

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<div>Here's where the money will go to:

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<div><em>AI-Assisted Visual Storytelling - €2000</em>

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<div>We will use carefully guided AI video generation tools to create cinematic scenes with photorealistic characters and atmospheric period detail. Most of these tools operate on a subscription or credit basis, and the costs of rendering sequences add up quickly — your support will directly help cover these production expenses.

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<div><em>Music, Sound Design &amp; Narration - €2500</em>

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<div>Music is the heart of the film. A sound designer/composer will build a soundscape from existing recordings, used in a transformative way, alongside a professionally recorded voice-over. This budget covers those fees and a modest session cost. We’ll also newly record two piano pieces by Martinů — since we can’t use existing commercial recordings, we’re working with music students to record them ourselves.

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<div><em>Music Licensing - €1000</em>
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<div>The film's visual power depends on authentic archival material: music recordings and documents from Martinů's American years. Clearing the rights to use this material properly (so the film can be screened publicly and distributed) is a substantial cost, and it is non-negotiable for a film of this kind.

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<div><em>Translation, Subtitling &amp; Festival Fees - €500</em>

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<div>Czech translation, English subtitles, as well as festival fees, so the film is accessible to the widest possible audience.

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<div>Contingency - €500

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Gerrie van Es

Dirkjan Horringa

Anonymous

Martin Prchal

Ben Cartens

gert floor

Marc Simons

Ellie Persijn

Wicher van Vreden

Alena Leja-Hild

Richard Hallas

Reynout van der Poel

Bohuslav Martinů: A Bohemian in New York

Just €182€ to go! Make an impact.

Bohuslav Martinů: A Bohemian in New York

Just €182 to go!
Make an impact.