Help bring the extraordinary story of Bohuslav Martinů to new audiences

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

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.

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.

A Bohemian in New York is a new 20-minute poetic documentary about exile, creativity, and the ability to reinvent oneself in an unfamiliar world. This is not a film only for classical music specialists. It is a human story about what happens when everything familiar is taken away — and how art can transform loss into something enduring.

Why I Am Making This Film

This film follows Martinů’s Muse, 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.

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.

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.

Why Martinů Matters Today

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.

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.

A Poetic Approach to Visual Storytelling

No film footage exists of Martinů’s years in America. But there are photos. Through carefully crafted AI-assisted visual sequences, based on these historic photo’s, the documentary will evoke the world he inhabited and the experiences that shaped his music. These sequences will not replace historical evidence or present fiction as fact. Instead, they will function as poetic interpretations — creating a visual language for memories, emotions, and moments that no camera captured. The Bohuslav Martinů Institute will be providing expert background advice to help ensure the project's historical accuracy.

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.

Transformative Use of Music

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.

How Your Support Gets Used

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

Whether you give €10, €50, €250, or more, every donation helps cover the essential costs that bring this film from an idea to reality.

Here's where the money will go to:

AI-Assisted Visual Storytelling - €1500

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.

Music, Sound Design & Narration - €2500

Music is the heart of the film. We’ll 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.

Licensing & Archival Rights - €1500

The film's visual power depends on authentic archival material: stock photographs, New York stock footage, 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.

Translation, Subtitling & Festival Fees - €500

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

Contingency - €500