A Pint of Ink

If the quality of a biographical documentary is measured by its ability to instill in viewers previously unfamiliar with the subject the desire to get to know that person and to spend time within their “magnetic field,” then A Pint of Ink is a successful film. Another reason is that Ester Geislerová, daughter of the Japanologist, translator, journalist, educator, and calligrapher Petr Geisler (1949–2009), has managed to capture her father’s exceptional status in late-twentieth-century Czech culture (and more) without ever losing sight of the intimate, familial, joyful, and painful dimensions. Through photographs, home videos, letters, and personal recollections, she composes a portrait of a charismatic charmer who remained mysteriously elusive even to his closest family.