Fantaghiro: Jaskinia złotej róży

The whole Princesses Fantaghiró series interestingly follows the tradition of co-production projects for children and youth, which arose, traditionally before the revolution, from the connection with West and East Germans. Officially, it is a TV project of the Italian company Reteitalia, but with so much generous help from Czech filmmakers and locations that it is almost a co-production. Twenty Czech faces can be found in both minor and major roles, with the royal court based, of course, in Bouzov. The opening story, The Cave of the Golden Rose, is an enjoyable fantasy tale starring the luscious Alessandra Martines playing her princess as brave, beautiful, proud, and wise. Her character Fantaghiró is both loving and vulnerable, making her the perfect protagonist. (11.03.2011)

Wonderful nostalgia that really got me. Lamberto Bava showed that he's not only adept at horror but also at family stories and fairy tales. Here he has created a great, strong heroine who has quite an interesting adventure where she actually has to grow up. And all this with incredibly beautiful effects and locations that you will recognize, as well as Czech actors. It's a bit silly at times, a bit too focused on children and clowning around, but still, it's beautiful and remains entertaining even after all these years. (28.10.2015)