Karel Plicka

Karel Plicka (in Slovak: Karol Plicka) (14 October 1894 – 6 May 1987) was a Czechoslovak photographer, film director, cinematographer, folklorist, and pedagogue. He is considered a founder of Slovak film education and filmmaking. He helped establish the genre of ethnographic film in Czechoslovakia.

Plicka was born to Czech parents in Vienna. He spent his childhood in the Austro-Hungarian metropolis and in Česká Třebová (from 1900 to 1909).

Following his graduation at the Teachers Institute in Hradec Králové (1909–1913), Plicka studied violin and music theory privately in Prague and Berlin. His early interest in music resulted in founding various choirs in Úpice and Nové Město nad Metují, and most importantly he co-founded the choir of the Czech Philharmonic, together with conductor Václav Talich and composer Jaroslav Křička. He was the artistic director of the choir from 1920 to 1924. During World War I, he was engaged as a singer in the Court Opera in Vienna. Additionally, Plicka focused his interest on collecting Slovak folk songs. From 1919 to 1938 he managed to collect 64,000 melodies and about 100,000 texts of folk songs. His ethnographic works made during that period include over 22,000 photographs and 30 km of film material. During his travels, Plicka also visited exiled Slovaks in Romania, Austria, Yugoslavia and the USA. His stays were arranged by Matica slovenská in Martin.

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