Kekec is a 1951 Slovene/Yugoslavian adventure-youth film directed by Jože Gale. The film was based on the Kekec Above the Lonely Abyss (Kekec nad samotnim breznom), a mountain narrative by Josip Vandot, the last of three stories about Kekec, which was published in Slovenian youth magazine Zvonček in 1924. The film was produced by Triglav Film and originally distributed by Vesna film, currently at Viba film. The story is set in the northwest part of Slovenian mountains, mainly in author's birthplace Kranjska Gora and Julian Alps.

Kekec
Directed by	Jože Gale
Screenplay by	Jože Gale Frane Milčinski
Based on	Kekec Above the Lonely Abyss by Josip Vandot
Produced by	Dušan Povh
Starring	Matija Barl Frane Milčinski France Presetnik Zdenka Logar Jože Mlakar
Cinematography	Ivan Marinček
Edited by	Ivan Marinček
Music by	Marjan Kozina
Production company	Triglav Film
Distributed by	Vesna film (original) Viba film (current)
Release date	18 December 1951 (1951-12-18) (Slovenia)
Running time	97 minutes
Countries	Slovenia Yugoslavia
Language	Slovene

This is the first in the Jože Gale film series about Kekec and has two sequels: Good Luck, Kekec (Srečno, Kekec!) from 1963 and Kekec's Tricks (Kekčeve ukane) from 1968.

There were more than a thousand kids on the film's audition chosen by casting director Ernest Adamič. One of the supporting actors was Slovenian singer Lado Leskovar.

Plot summary

Based on the popular story "Kekec nad samotnim breznom" ("Kekec Above the Lonely Abyss", 1924) by Josip Vandot, the story wasn't changed that much from original, but the songs with music in background were totally new. It's set in an idyllic village of the Slovenian mountains where Kekec (Matija Barl), a young boy is living.

High up in the mountains leads his solitary life Bedanec (France Presetnik), a man everybody is afraid of because he is wicked. But the brave boy Kekec is not afraid of him. When he gets to know that Bedanec keeps his victims Mojca (Zdenka Logar) and Kosobrin (Frane Milčinski) in his house, he sets out to find them. With his courage and cunning Kekec manages to set them free, and what's more, he forces Bedanec to leave for good.[1]

Success

This is by far the most popular and successful film in Kekec's film trilogy and one of the greatest films in Slovenian and Yugoslavian cinema history. The first Slovenian film winning international award, supposedly it went to festivals and cinemas in over sixty countries all around the world like China, where it hosted in 1957 as part of Yugoslavian film week and Argentina.[2]

Cast

Photo gallery

Shooting locations

Slika	Lokacija	Občina	Opis
	Gozd	Tržič	small village in municipality of Tržič
	Bedančev konec	Kranjska Gora	the most of the film was shot
	Savica Fall	Bohinj	shooting just under Savica Fall
	Mojstrana	Kranjska Gora	they build a small village set
	Slemenova špica	Kranjska Gora	scene with theme song : "Dobra volja je najbolja"
	Saint Josef Church	Ljubljana	Scene of Gorge with stream

Film outtakes

• 
  Matija Barl (Kekec)
• 
  Bedanec and Kekec
• 
  Bedanec
• 
  film poster
• 
  film postcard

Award

This was the first ever international award for a Slovenian feature film. At the 13th Venice International Film Festival in 1952, this film won a Golden Lion for the best film in youth category, for kids between ages 11 and 14.[3][4]

Music

Music and theme song was written by Slovenian composer Marjan Kozina. Lyrics for theme song called Kaj mi poje ptičica (Dobra volja je najbolja) was written by Frane Milčinski and performed by Tomaž Tozon together with Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra.[5]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kekec (1951 film).

• Kekec at IMDb