Martin Ťapák was a Slovak director, screenwriter, actor, dancer and choreographer (13th October 1926, Liesek – 1st February 2015, Bratislava). He began his acting career at the Slovak National Theatre (1945 – 1951). In 1950, he joined the Slovak Folk Art Ensemble (SĽUK), where, as a director and choreographer, he created pieces, such as, Basket, “Bunkoš” Dance, “Kresák” Dance, Short Folk Songs, Thread Makers, Philanderer, Gipsy Dance and Ežo Vlkolínsky, a play that combined dance and motion. From 1951 to 1956, he studied choreography at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. After his graduation, Ťapák returned to SĽUK (1958). From 1959 to 1962, he worked for Prague Laterna magika as a director. As a film actor he made his debut in 1948 in the works: White Darkness (directed by F. Čáp), Wolf Holes (directed by P. Bielik) and The Devil’s Wall (directed by V. Wasserman). He directed his first feature-length film for cinema, The Bride of the Mountains, in 1971. Four years later, he shot the most popular Slovak comedy and parody that followed a banditry theme, Pacho, Brigand of Hybe. In 1976, Ťapák became a Member of the Slovak National Council, and from 1977 to 1980, he worked as the Managing Director of Slovak Film.
He also directed Plavčík and Vratko as well as Popolvar, Biggest in the World, a co-production of fairy tales. His adaptations of literary works and dramas, such as, The Return of Ján Petro (based on a novel by Emil Dzvoník, Ducats in Mothballs), Greenhouse Venus (based on a novel by Anton Baláž), The Rooster Won’t Crow (based on a drama by Ivan Bukovčan, Before the Rooster Crows) and Monti’s Czardas (based on a short story by Viliam F. Šikula) are also well-known. His TV films were particularly inspired by Slovak folk traditions (When a Musician Broke a String, A Year in the Countryside, The Meadow Where the Wind Sleeps, My Green Wreath), along with classic and modern Slovak literature. He made TV adaptations of a novel by Milo Urban, The Living Whip, another by František Švantner, Malka, short stories by Martin Kukučín, Red Heifer, Christmas Wafers and Mišo, a short story by Margita Figuli, The Mountaineers and the novella by Andrej Chudoba, The Desert Yard. Ťapák also occupied himself as a stage director. He staged the musical The Return of Pacho for The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra and the play Kubo for the New Scene Theatre in Bratislava. In 2007, he was awarded the Pribina Cross, 1st Class, a state decoration. In 2017, his son Marek shot a documentary entitled Martin Ťapák.
Renáta Šmatláková
