Man with Pipe

The documentary “Man with a Pipe” will pay tribute to the Czech diplomat and American university lecturer Josef Korbel, while reflecting on the role of democracy in the contemporary world.

As a matter of record, Korbel´s conviction that it is necessary to work actively and by democratic means for a better and more just world eventually brought him an uneasy lot of a diplomat and an outlaw, who lost his homeland twice in the whirlwind of world events, but who did not lose his faith. His personal story shows that the power of one’s intellect and ethical principles may prevail even in politics. Josef Korbel´s commitment to democracy gives his personal life story a quality whose heritage has been topical to this day. For instance, since last year the influential Denver-based School of International Studies has borne his name in recognition of Korbel´s great merits for its development. Established in 2000, the Josef Korbel Humanitarian Award now has as many as 28 winners.

Even though the heritage of Josef Korbel is still present in the democratic orientation of the US foreign policy (former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is Korbel´s daughter, and another former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was his student), in his native land this man is virtually unknown.

This film was created with the support of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State Funf Czech Republic for supporting Czech cinematography.

The patron of the project took over American Chamber of Commerce.

Movie details