Czech Republic 🇨🇿

Ivanna, 36

Born in Varnsdorf, Czech Republic

Came to Australia in February 2015

What is your occupation?

I’m a TV producer and director of Stream Cz. I also do commercials and business videos which have been broadcast on Channel Nine and Channel Seven, mostly short videos for financial services and education firms.

I’m currently working on a reality TV show called Others About Us, which is a show about foreigners engaging in Czech culture. You can only watch it on Czech TV, otherwise, you can watch short clips on Youtube and Stream Cz.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Economics and Management at Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic. I also went to film school in Pisek, however, I didn’t finish it as I ran out of funds. I also studied an Advanced Diploma of Marketing in Sydney.

Why did you come to Australia?

Originally, I planned to study English for a few months in Australia and then head back to the Czech Republic. However, days before leaving the Czech Republic, I got a job offer to be a producer and director of a new Czech TV channel. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take up the offer as I’d already paid for my flights, accommodation and tuition fees. The head producer of the TV channel was kind enough to allow me to shoot a documentary series in Australia and later in New Zealand.

It is called Australian Dream and the New Zealand version is called Kiwi Dream. It centres around Czechoslovakian migrants who have started a new life in Australia. This is the link: https://tv.idnes.cz/australsky-sen

It took me roughly two years to film the documentary series. After this, I received other projects to work on and I realised it was in my best interests to sell my Czech video production company and open a similar business here in Australia. The website is http://www.orangetv.com.au/ and my own professional website is www.ivannabenesova.com.

My next ambition is to work on the set of a reality show for one of the major broadcasting channels here in Australia.

What do you like about Sydney?

I enjoy the convenience and practicality of living in a big city like Sydney. Everything is a click away and I cannot go back to living in a small village. Moreover, it has a pleasant climate compared to the dreary European winters.

I have also met many kind people in Sydney; I feel like people are more relaxed and less judgmental than Czechs, who always appear grumpy.

What don’t you like about Sydney?

From a work perspective, I don’t like how there are so few Australian TV channels. Back in the Czech Republic, there are a lot of TV channels that you can watch online and they’re far more segmented; they cater to a wider range of interests.

Australia is a very multicultural country and I feel like the new immigrants may struggle to learn about Australian culture if there isn’t ample educational and informative content on TV.

Overall, I don’t like to complain too much about Sydney and Australia. At the end of the day, I made the decision to come here and I am grateful for all that Sydney has given to me.

What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?

Be grateful that you live in one of the best cities in the world. The lifestyle is great here.

What languages do you speak?

Czech, English, German

I learnt German for 13 years in school but I have forgotten most of it. A lot of Czechs learn German because they’re one of our biggest neighbours. Because my Czech village is next to the German border, a lot of Germans visit the Czech Republic to buy sausages, cakes and desserts.

Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.

Dobrou chut!

This means Bon appetit. We say this before eating a meal.

It literally means “Have a good taste.”

What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?

The Czech Republic is not Russia. It is not Czechoslovakia. It was never part of Yugoslavia. It is a country in Central Europe famous for its beer, history and architecture. We are the biggest beer drinkers in the world per capita.

I recommend people to visit between May and September, or in the weeks leading up to Christmas as Prague is truly spectacular with the Christmas markets.

Places worth visiting include Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Brno and Pilsen. For tourists, I recommend just finding a local tour guide and sticking to known and trusted websites like TripAdvisor.

Who is the most famous person in your native country?

Václav Havel

He was the first democratically elected President of the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003. He was also a writer of Czech literature, known for his plays, essays and memoirs. He is a significant figure in the history of our country and the airport in Prague was named after him in 2012.

What is the best dish in your native country?

Svíčková

This is a Czech meat dish and one of the most popular Czech dishes. It is slowly cooked sirloin steak with a creamy sauce made of root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, celeriac root) and served with bread dumplings called knedlíky. It is topped with cranberries and cream.

I recommend everyone to visit Tommy’s Beer Cafe in Glebe. The head chef is Czech and you can order Svickova there!

For an insight into whether or not foreigners like this dish, please check out my video: https://www.stream.cz/jak-nas-vidi-svet/cizinci-poprve-ochutnavaji-svickovou-285592

Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.