embassy events

Ambassador Graber and NFA Director Vladimír Opěla

Embassy Donates Unique WWII Liberation Footage to Czech National Archive

November 9, 2007

U.S. Ambassador Richard Graber donated unique film materials from the U.S. National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) to Vladimir Opela, Director of the Czech National Film Archive (NFA). The footage shows the U.S. Army liberating Western Bohemia in 1945. The presentation was held at the American Center on Friday, November 9.

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in 2005, the U.S. Embassy cooperated closely with former head of the NARA documentary section William Murphy as well as the Czech NFA to identify previously unknown documentary footage of the liberation. The material was very well received, particularly in western Bohemia, where people came to see it during special screenings. Continued cooperation enabled the Embassy to present another two hours of footage previously unknown to Czech public. These clips were selected in close cooperation with experts of the Czech National Film Archive.