Embassy Launches Festival Website!

The Embassy of the Czech Republic announces the launch of the Mutual Inspirations Festival 2015 – Karel Čapek website www.mutualinspirations.org. This site features upcoming events, stories about Čapek’s life, US-Czech inspirational personalities, and more. Be sure to check the website periodically for updates of new events and information leading up to the festival this fall.

Now in its sixth year, the Mutual Inspirations Festival 2015 celebrates one of the most prolific writers of the twentieth century, Karel Čapek. This year marks the 125th anniversary of his birth (January 9, 1890 – December 25, 1938). Through his many works, he wrote on such topics as nationalism, totalitarianism, and consumerism. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature and called a forerunner to such renowned science fiction writers as George Orwell and Aldous Huxley. His plays appeared to great acclaim in London and New York soon after debuting in Prague, and his books have been translated into many languages. He wrote his most renowned play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), which made famous the word “robot” and centers on machines dominating the human race with the threat of extinction. Many of his works debate ethical aspects of industrial inventions including mass production, nuclear weapons, and artificial intelligence.     
Running from September–October 2015, the festival highlights events at prestigious venues throughout the Washington area. In tribute to Čapek’s incredible insight and genius, the festival incorporates a variety of events, including concerts, film screenings, exhibitions, theatrical performances, and lectures.    

Join us as we uncover the monumental works that foresaw history and continue to resonate in today’s world. Catch a glimpse of Čapek’s inspiration this fall! Stay posted for upcoming events.    

MORE ABOUT THE FESTIVAL        
The Mutual Inspirations Festival (MIF) is an annual initiative spearheaded by the Embassy of the Czech Republic, focusing on the mutual inspirations between Czech and American cultures and featuring each year an extraordinary Czech personality who has greatly influenced and inspired others through his or her work. Over the years, the festival has featured former President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (2010), classical music legend Antonín Dvořák (2011), film director Miloš Forman (2012), former President Václav Havel (2013), and writer Franz Kakfa (2014).    

The festival began as a pilot project of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in 2010, and branched out to the local DC community a year later. It continues to grow, reaching out to select cities across the United States. In the last three years, over 30,000 visitors have attended festival events throughout Washington, DC, alone.            

The festival takes place at cultural and educational community centers through a variety of forms, such as music, art, film, and literature. Through the celebration of the work of many famous personalities and the creations of individuals they in turn influenced, the festival aims to depict this long tradition of transatlantic inspiration and interpretation. 

Photo Courtesy: Karel Čapek Memorial
Karel Čapek and his brother Josef