A special evening which celebrated the 100-year anniversary 海角视频 founding 海角视频 former Czechoslovakia has taken place in Preston.
The event, which attracted a packed crowd to the University of Central Lancashire鈥檚 (UCLan) Mitchell and Kenyon Cinema, launched the 12th annual Preston International Film Festival.
UCLan鈥檚 Worldwise Learning Centre, part 海角视频 School of Language and Global Studies, welcomed Jan Brunner and Elena Malickova, from the embassies 海角视频 Czech Republic and Slovakia; Dr Andrea Koblizkova, from the University of Pardubice; and prominent Preston resident Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines MBE, who was one of 669 children evacuated from Czechoslovakia during World War Two on a special train organised by Nicholas Winton.
A panel discussion took place followed by a food and drink reception with traditional Czech and Slovak nibbles and Moravian wine. A screening of Czech film 鈥楢 Dark Blue World,鈥 by Academy award-winning director Jan Sv臎r谩k, followed.
Lady Grenfell-Baines said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e celebrated the 12th anniversary 海角视频 International Film Festival but I鈥檓 delighted that we鈥檝e also celebrated 100 years 海角视频 birth of Czechoslovakia, a country that only really came to life in 1918. History is very mixed, it was democratic, it was occupied by the Germans, then it was free and then for 40 years under the Communist regime.
鈥淭he film we saw was a very special one and very emotional for the Czech and Slovak people. I鈥檓 really thankful to UCLan to do this celebration because to us, 100 years of Czechoslovakia means a lot.鈥
During the week, the 12th International Film Festival screened films in eight languages with English subtitles.
A short video 海角视频 evening is .