Discoveries from Czech Republic World Cinema

Godfather's story is the story of the greatest of Czech post-revolutionary 'entrepreneurs'. His activities often crossed the edge of the law, and his life ended bullet assassin.

This Hrebejk’s comedy is set in Prague, four years after the democratic “Velvet revolution” of 1989. This was an era of sudden freedom, transition and confusion. Most people got carried away, quickly abandoning the old values and uncritically accepting the new. Some people just took a break…

A princess grows up without a mother. Her father, a kind and just king, loves his daughter above all else, but wants to marry her off at any cost. And no one really knows why he is in such a hurry. The king organizes a grand ball at the castle. A number of princes court the princess, but the one she chooses does not appeal to her father for reasons that are incomprehensible... Only later does it become clear that behind it all lies an ancient curse, the ruler of the empire of witches, and the Snow Dragon. The princess and her chosen one thus embark on a difficult and dangerous journey...

On February 24, 2022, Yevhen, together with his friends, volunteered to join the first aid squad on the front line. They provided life-saving support and evacuation of the wounded. This film reveals the experiences of these young men for six months full of drama, despair, fear, hatred, bitterness, love, and, most importantly, faith in victory.

A story of Karel Jaroš, an emotionally arid man, whose mother suffers from Alzheimer disease. It is not love, but the sense of duty that stops him from sending his mother to a mental institution. On the other hand, this way he can finally connect with her. And not just with her but also with his teenage son and with himself.

At a high school, gang leader Yvoš coerces Tony into stealing what turns out to be his ex-girlfriend Valérie’s phone, planning to publicly humiliate her by projecting private photos at the school academy. Tony assembles a team of outcasts with Valérie to thwart Yvoš’s scheme.

Hurikán rushes out to save his favourite beer stand from closure by fetching a new keg to impress the bartender he has a crush on. In a wild Prague district, he faces robbers, cops, and his own thirst.

Bára and Luboš's marriage has long been dead, and her husband is living with another woman. Nevertheless, Barbora wants to adopt a child from a children's home. She asks her husband to support her and go through the adoption process with her. That is the only thing she still asks of him. But her husband hesitates, still remembering how Bára once had an abortion against his will. Nevertheless, he eventually agrees, and so the couple arrives at the children's home to pick up their son. Bohoušek is cute and spontaneous. The grandmother immediately takes to the boy, but Bára struggles with her emotional problems. Despite everything, she still loves her husband. The question remains whether she wants to use the child mainly to solve her loneliness...

Tomáš and Věrka are a young couple expecting their first child and are working hard to finish building a small family house in a village just outside Prague. The expectant father takes on more and more work in an effort to survive the difficult test of life, the young mother is disgusted with herself due to the dramatic changes in her prenatal moods, and there is Tomáš's father, who is not afraid to tell the young people, and especially Věrka, straight out what he thinks of their actions. Can you manage pregnancy and not go crazy about it? Especially when there is a calculating doula who Věrka listens to much more than her husband? A comedy about the fact that pregnancy is not an illness, but it can really take its toll on everyone!

Roman runs a fake car dealership on the outskirts of town, has three children, a vivacious wife and drinks. Emil, a fanatical lover of order, runs his downtown garage, which is backed by his greatest pride: a mock-up of a Formula One car. When Emil wins tickets to the Formula One Grand Prix in a TV competition, he has no choice but to ask his cousin Roman to drive him there. He can't drive. Little do either of them know that the local trouble magnet, the top supplier of stolen cars and Roman's prison friend Štětka, is about to pounce.

Lojzička is a quirky princess from Enykytánie who is more interested in physical education and her parrot Ferda than in her princess duties. And to make matters worse for her parents, the water sprite Bonifác chooses her as his bride and threatens to destroy the entire kingdom. Lojzička refuses to give in, runs away to join a troupe of actors, and becomes a famous tightrope walker. However, she is unable to escape her fate—in the end, she must deal with both the water sprite and her role as future queen. Fortunately, she discovers true love, makes good friends, and also realizes that everything must be learned and that there is always a silver lining...

The heroine of the story Struck by Lightning is a divorced teacher with grown-up children. She has been living alone for a long time, finding solace at her brother's grave in the cemetery. Years ago, he was killed by lightning somewhere in the mountains, at a mountain hut. And it is here, in the intimacy of the family grave, that Jana is approached by an unknown young man. He offers her companionship and help. Jana is afraid of him at first, but when he shows her a winding scar under his shirt, which proves beyond doubt that he, like her brother, was struck by lightning but survived, Jana believes him...

Anyone who enjoys listening to fairy tales also knows that the wisdom contained in them can help change our world a little for the better. How? Well, by teaching us to be quiet and listen to the inner voice of the events that surround us, they teach us to discover the inner beauty of things and people. And anyone who can do this can never again maliciously destroy beauty and happiness, as the nine envious maidens in the fairy tale did.

Flower Buds tells the story of the gradual breakdown of a family living in a small town. Each character lives according to his or her own ideals. Agata wants a happy life far from home, fully aware that her only hope is to escape and therefore betray those close to her. Honza believes in the purity and power of love, regardless of the circumstances under which it is born. Kamila looks confidently to the future and does not intend to accept the misery of the present. The only Jarda knows that he will not change the world or himself. Aware of his weakness, he does not even try. In his mind, of course, his addiction to slot machines, which has led to a nearly impossible situation, is as certain as most gamblers' belief of an imminent win. The real and convincing attempt to rescue his family comes when it is too late. It is just a futile gesture, a desperate last ditch effort.

A tragicomedy full of slapstick and vignettes, and even an unexpected shootout. A family of villagers moves up in the world - to the county seat. Dad works as a butcher at a meatpacking plant, mom is a checker at a supermarket. The daughter is at odds with her homeroom teacher, while the son - a vegetarian, anarchist, and avid pothead - is apprenticing as a butcher to please his father. The kid's in hot water with both his forewoman and the police. But dad isn't much of an example, letting himself be tempted by the charms of a lovely young butcher. However much mom tries - visiting the beauty parlor, her psychologist, or even the confessional - her husband shows his interest by moving out. Mom plots revenge. And somehow an imp gets mixed up in it all

During a fishing trip, detective Vašátko and his friend, painter Horác, casually track down the murderer of a young hitchhiker.

A fairy tale about brotherhood that turns into hatred and betrayal, and about love transformed into heroism and fearlessness.

The four adult heroes and heroines of the film, who were selected in a casting call posted on TV, speak candidly on camera from the very beginning of their memories. Through individual stories, they describe their childhoods, family backgrounds, life at school, and how they spent their free time. The stories complement each other and are intertwined; we see emotions and hear things that reveal the horrific DNA of domestic violence. The documentary addresses the issue of abuse with an emphasis on the entire social environment of the victims and the societal underpinnings. Typical of domestic violence is that victims often hide it within themselves; they do not talk about it, and sometimes they do not even admit it. But in the documentary, they were determined to speak out.

A fairy tale full of mystery, love, and heroic battles. A story about the love of Knight Cornelius and comedian Vendelin for a mysterious beauty, about whom legend says that when she cries, real pearls roll down her cheeks.

Documentary about western popular music concerts as bearer tendencies of democracy and freedom in the Czechoslovak area in period 1965 - 1990. Unique and comprehensive view of the cultural and political significance visits of western popular and alternative culture personalities who were brought democratic idea to the former socialist Czechoslovakia.

A wedding is supposed to be a joyous occasion, but things can go awry. When an uninvited guest turns up at the church and later at the reception as well, the newly-weds’ day turns sour. Shadows of the past can blight the most sumptuous of banquets and rend the most affectionate of embraces.

As a mayor dreams of spreading holiday cheer with a new ski jump, the town's citizens experience wacky antics while searching for love in wild places.

Dita, a thirty-year-old woman longing for a baby, receives a young Border Collie from her boyfriend Filip, even though she never wanted a dog. She despises the dog-owning community and loathes dog waste, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she steps in one.

Poetic, affectionate, lyrical, and elegy for actor Rudolf Hrusinsky composed of a wordless montage of slowed film footage spanning Hrusinsky’s entire career that embodies the human experience: toil, rest, education, romantic love, rejection, desire, aging, frailty. A recurring interstitial black screen with the words “ten minutes” becomes a constant reinforcement of transience, a career and life distilled to the precious few minutes of the film, a reflection of its brevity.

The documentary film uncovers the story of Mašín brothers, which is of the greatest stories of the Cold War. A group of five young men decided to leave the then-communist Czechoslovakia with guns in hand to join the fighting in the then expected war between the West and the East. The year was 1953, and today, through the last witnesses, we follow the 30-day dramatic journey to West Berlin and the subsequent fateful events that happened to her loved ones at home.

About the strange tasks Jeník was given in order to win the princess's hand... The advisor to Princess Lucie's suitors comes up with strange tasks, and the king is satisfied. His collection of coveted items continues to grow, but the princess remains unmarried. It is only with the arrival of Jeník, who also came to seek her hand, that things come to light that will end the endless courtship. Jeník and Princess Lucie are happy, and those who deserve it are punished.

A romantic fairy tale about a disobedient princess who stopped having bad luck when she realized that she alone was the architect of her own destiny.

It’s the year 1403, and the Bohemian Kingdom is in chaos. While roaming marauders sow fear and terror through a kingdom without a clear ruler, Henry of Skalitz seeks to avenge his murdered parents. As an ally of the rightful king, he is sent to accompany Sir Hans Capon on a diplomatic mission. After they are brutally attacked, however, Henry and Hans undergo a series of dangerous adventures that subject them and their friendship to the ultimate test.

When Standa is released from jail, he feels a brighter future is about to take hold. Instead, his bad luck grows, thanks to a new acquaintance.

Friends and college classmates Petr and Mirek meet Katka, a student at the art academy. Petr falls in love with the charming painter, but Katka ultimately chooses Mirek. Their brief romantic relationship is interrupted by an argument and Mirek's internship abroad. Petr uses this as an opportunity to offer Katka a family and emotional foundation. After some time, when the two are living together in one house with her parents and Petr is patiently enduring the hardships of dependent cohabitation, Mirek suddenly returns from abroad. His unexpected visit only confirms Katka's belief that her marriage to Petr and her unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child are not fulfilling her.

Our story begins years later. A grand engagement is being planned in the kingdom. The prince has come of age. The time has come for him to marry the daughter of a neighboring country. An ancient royal promise must be fulfilled! However, the prince has little desire to marry. He is more interested in the surrounding forests, the stream, the birds, and above all, freedom, than in court etiquette and his own wedding. The young man does not change his behavior even when the beautiful princess arrives at the king's invitation. However, she soon realizes that she and the prince are not suited to each other. They only agree on one thing—they both want to defy the king's promise. But how?

Petr and Richard are among those for whom fixed working hours are a nightmare. They want to be masters of their own time and not be subordinate to anyone. Petr also wants to fulfill his dream of becoming a great composer. The shackles of a regular job terrify them both. But money is a necessity, and they have to earn it somehow. How about trading in lies? Problems arise when they stop just trading in lies and start living with them in their private lives. Both realize that the situation is getting out of hand and that something needs to be done. Perhaps love is stronger than lies... But isn't love ultimately the biggest lie in their lives? Who will finally break out of the vicious circle? Petr or Richard?

An original story told by Uncle Igor, a son of Russian aristocrats, and his nine year old grandson Tonda. A powerful story of complicated times around 1968, a story full of contrasts: Whether it is the relation between what Grandpa's plentiful life entails and Tonda's imminent children's presence, or between poetry and fine humor and dramatic situations of military occupation. Or generally between everyday worries of a person and the pressure of great history. On grandpa's life story, mapping a big part of the 20th century traumas, one can see how much an individual's fate depends on the movement and changes of history. And how much one can defy it and maintain inner firmness and integrity. Or perhaps just dear life.

A Czech family deals with their problems in a strange way.

The film follows the fate of the real inhabitants of the former German village of Vitín. The central character of the film is Otto Hille, who comes from a Czech-German family. He prepares an expedition for the old and seriously ill Leopold Švarc, which is supposed to be a cathartic journey into the past shrouded in mystery. Schwartz is accompanied by the faithfully serving autistic Michel, the cook Jan and Dr. Ignaci. Otto also enlists the begging bankrupt painter Henry to join the group. The expedition takes Otto to the land of his ancestors - the long-decayed German village of Vitín. He witnesses the events of 1945, where he meets his grandfather Otfried Hille. The trauma of the past becomes the key to understanding the present.

Based on the novel by French writer Jean Labord, who was a long-time court reporter for the Paris newspaper France-Soir, Jiří Hubač wrote a compelling story with a strong ethical message. The television film of the same name, directed by Zdeněk Zelenka, tells the story of the eternal fluctuation of justice between truth and its outward appearance. It focuses on a case of judicial error, the victim of which is a young nurse, Genevieve Leblanc. She is accused of giving a lethal injection to her lover, government advisor Dupré. In the court investigation, two prominent lawyers clash: Judge Gaudet, who gradually becomes convinced that the girl is innocent, and attorney Cassidis, who elegantly manipulates witnesses, facts, and words.

Three hundred years after she fled the Witch Academy for love, Saxána has settled into a comfortable human life with her husband and daughter, until her curious little girl, Saxánka, uncovers her mother’s hidden magical past and is whisked away to the Fairy Realm. There, amid dwarfs, dragons, and mischievous spirits, Saxánka with her newfound fairy friends to unravel a tangle of enchanted dangers and stop the comic-book gangster Crashman from plunging the realm into ruin.

The story of Alektryo the rooster, a family heirloom of the count's family, which she did not want to give up, is full of surprising plot twists, magic, and turns of events. The driving force behind it, however, is human envy, intrigue, but also loyalty and love. Alektryo the rooster, cruelly and unjustly punished by the count, nevertheless manages to give the count's family his magic ring, thus restoring their dignity and home...

The thrilling and fantastic story of three Prague children, Alena, David, Ondra, and the charismatic treasure hunter Aaron Cohen, takes us to the most mysterious places of old Prague, to the ruins of an old water castle, and among strange creatures from ancient times... All of this takes place during an exciting and adventurous search for a mysterious treasure, the Golem, and the legendary Philosopher's Stone...

Delve deeper into the fairy-tale world of Princess Enchanted in Time! New stories featuring beloved characters from the film reveal, for example, how Prince Jan obtained the Sun Thorn sword, why Amélie began studying magical alchemy, and who the witch Murien really is and how she came to wield her powers.

An interesting attempt at a postmodern crazy comedy with elements of parody. The plot turns on the search for the recipe of a liqueur made by the film’s financial backer.

The Best Driver on the road to Metamorphosis. Despite her age, BOŽENA is the best tram driver in the city. But when she has to drive a modern tram, she loses her nerve and is fired. Božena refuses to give up and tries to find a new direction in her life. But she has to hurry, her body is aging and turning into a fragile BUG. The hope for Bozena is her granddaughter, who is growing as fast as Bozena is shrinking.

The shouted teacher Dušička is not having the best time of his life. He is going through a crisis with his girlfriend who wants to own him. He has problems at school, forcing him to change the way he teaches. He worries about his neighbors, who impose middle-class principles on him. And to top it all off, he finds a live horse at his home for Christmas. The situation is all the more absurd because he lives in an apartment on the second floor of an apartment building. Dušička has no idea how the white man got to him, who he might be, and he has no idea how to get rid of him. But the presence of the circus clown becomes not only a source of bizarrely comical situations, but also a catalyst for his relationships. Dušička recognizes the true face of the people who surround him. Because in a heated situation, everyone loses their masks. He begins to understand that his environment forces him to make compromises that are against him.

The Way Out tells a story of a young Romani couple, Zaneta and David, the parents of little Janicka. Their efforts to live a decent and dignified life run up against the "Romani social trap," which is racism, the society's prejudices, exclusion from opportunities to obtain legal work, the lack of necessary qualifications, difficult communication with officials, debts and the miserable life conditions connected with the environment, lifestyle and traditional values of their ethnicity. David wants to protect his family, even at the expense of committing a crime. But Zaneta finds inner strength to defy the unfavorable situation in a different way. Will they overcome the existential problems that start to take apart their relationship? Is it worthwhile for them to continue to Honor their own values and family traditions? And will their "way out" be only another "escape" for them, or a promise to change their lives?

The phenomenal German trumpeter Reinhold Friedrich and the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava conducted by H. M. Förster. Renowned German trumpeter Reinhold Friedrich, honorary professor at London's Royal Academy of Music, who has collaborated with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre Philharmonique de la Radio France, among others, has now joined forces with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava, conducted by its chief conductor H. M. Förster, for his solo project. Their performance in Ostrava included Ernest Bloch's Proclamation for Trumpet and Orchestra and Tomasi's Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra. Performers: Reinhold Friedrich, Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava.

Several retired women have been attacked in their apartments by an unknown man. None of them have been raped or killed yet, but the perpetrator's brutality is increasing with each case. The attacks always occur at the same time, on Thursday afternoons. The violence is followed by robbery, with money and jewelry disappearing. At the intercession of a former colleague, Major Bohuslav, who has been temporarily reassigned to the police archives because he has recently been dealing with his difficult family problems with alcohol, is put in charge of the case. Bohuslav sees this case as his last chance. He successfully solves the complicated web of family and "business" relationships, in which, as it initially appears, the murder was committed by a man who was recently buried, in cooperation with Captain Mazancová.

In the story of two generations searching for a fixed point in their lives, the film offers a reflection on the possibilities of escaping the reality of place, time and human responsibility. In a narrative between fiction and documentary, the past and the present are intertwined, and events both lived and written. The film takes advantage of the atmosphere of Ústí nad Labem and the unique possibilities of the Drama Studio of that time. It is linked to the theatre by the actor Jiří Schmitzer, who was a member of the ensemble for ten years, as well as the actress Jitka Prosperi and Miroslav Bambušek, who was a guest director and author there. However, the actors who also appeared on the stage of the Drama Studio were Čerčil's representative - former stage technician Zdeněk Novák, former wardrobe mistress Petra Poláková and inspector Ester Hocke.

Rumbling is a dramatic feature film based on a true contemporary story, spiced with real-life events taken from media reports mixed in. It showcases tales of domestic violence, acts of self-defense, standing up for what is right and helping victims in need. The film is about an endangered human archetype, one whose sense of justice and freedom of speech borders the edge of law and social norms. It was originally planned as a documentary about people whose nature defies societal norm. This background gives the film a credible amount of crude realism. As a feature film Rumbling is set in the world of motorcycles, rock music and artists, where people valuing fairness and honesty blend in their inherent explosive emotions, rumbling in the heart and love for absolute beauty. A world where man ceases to be judgmental with himself.

A young poet, lost in his work, faces his own creation.

Ester Krumbachová - a costume designer, screenwriter, director; one of the boldest personalities of the Czech New Wave. She worked in theatre, she was a writer and an illustrator. She co-created films such as O slavnosti a hostech (1966), Sedmikrásky (1966), Vsichni dobrí rodáci (1969), Pension pro svobodné pány (1968), Valerie a týden divu (1970), Slamený klobouk (1972) and many others. In the 1960s, she was a 'pivot' of the art scene in Prague, attracting artists who were on the threshold of their career, just setting out to find their own form of self-realization. Those who underwent her tutelage remember her forever. Director Vera Chytilová talks to those who knew Ester Krumbachová, who worked with her, befriended her, loved her. She sets off on a search that is to end by answering the question: Who was Ester?

On the night it happened, Aleš Berka was celebrating his 50th birthday. A successful, mature man at the peak of his powers. Congratulations, gifts, a happy mistress, a healthy son. The fact that one of the guests had an accident at an intersection on his way home from the party was just a minor blemish on an otherwise perfect evening. The local underworld boss, Radek Máša, immediately called Aleš and asked him to cover up the accident, as always. The district police chief, Aleš Berka, promised to do so, as always. But in the morning, he learned that Marta, the girl who was driving the car, was lying in agony in the hospital and that she was the love of his son Ríša. Ríša believes unconditionally that his father, the district police chief, will do everything in his power to find and punish the culprit of the traffic accident who fled the scene...

When his family moves to the city of Zlín and 16-year-old David joins a new hockey team, the Wolves, he is determined to succeed. There’s, however, the other goalie, Miky – and his position seems unshakeable. The team doesn’t welcome David with open arms either. Captain Jerry and his gang do as they please, while the team follows the ‘law of the pack’. David has been weakened by his recently discovered diabetes, and that is not tolerated here. He is still coming to terms with his body, learning to estimate the insulin doses his life depends on. On the team, David is the outsider, bracing the avalanche of bullying that gradually gains speed.

Love Found is a short film about the search for mutual understanding between a mother and her son, who are unable to communicate and find a way to connect with each other. Neither of them realizes how much they need each other, and it takes an utterly absurd situation involving an online scam to make them aware of it. Directed by Matěj Macháček, this drama not only explores misunderstanding but also forgiveness and maternal love. The absurd situation evolves into a psychological drama, allowing the acting performances of Barbara Lukešová and Kristián Kašpar to truly shine.

Young, inexperienced heroes, the Roma girl Darja and the "white" boy Vítek, nicknamed Ken by his friends, fall in love at a drunken dance with the intensity of their first adolescent love, unaware of the world they live in and how a mere name or skin color can arouse hatred and a desire for revenge in others.