Date: July 20, 2025
Time: 20:00
Title: Time Is Short and the Water Is Rising | 30th Anniversary of Dežo Ursiny’s Death
Venue: Kino Lumiere (K1), Špitálska 4, Bratislava
Organizer: Kino Lumiere (K1), K1

A documentary film featuring interviews with Dežo Ursiny about dignity, the death penalty, conscience, euthanasia, freedom, abortion, suffering, suicide, death, and love is being presented on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of his death.

Dežo Ursiny is best known as a rock musician, composer, singer, and lyricist, but he was also a filmmaker. After 1989, he made three films addressing themes such as the boundary between life and death, extreme human sacrifice, and social exclusion. Among these works is the film Time Is Short and the Water Is Rising, in which Ursiny, at the peak of his creative powers but also on the brink of his own life and death, struggling with a clinical diagnosis offering no hope, conducts intimate and urgent conversations with several notable personalities. Interviewees include Ivan Laučík, Daniel Pastirčák, Karol Sidon, Rudolf Sloboda, Jozef Hašto, Anton Srholec, Daniela Fischerová, and many others.

His life companion Ivan Štrpka also contributed to the film, while the music was composed and recorded by Jaro Filip. Over 38 hours of documentary material was recorded during the making of the film, but before its final edit, Dežo Ursiny passed away (May 2, 1995). The film was completed by his producer, cameraman, editor, and co-director Ivo Brachtl with the help of friends.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Ursiny’s death, the film will also be screened at the Karlovy Vary Festival in the section Returns to the Sources.