Discoveries from Czech Republic World Cinema

Anna's work day begins badly and culminates in one very special, unique moment.

A documentary about the unique discovery of the long-lost Vivaldi opera Argippo. Antonio Vivaldi's Argippo was originally composed for a Prague debut in 1730. Lost for centuries, the opera's score was discovered by the young Czech conductor Ondřej Macek. Almost as remarkable as the discovery of this lost masterpiece was the process of recreating the work. Dan Krames' film observes, gloriously, the gradual birth of the modern-day world premiere of Argippo and the search for an authentic Baroque interpretation of it. It confirms the genius of Argippo, the most significant opera "written for Prague" before Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Rosa and Dara recount their fantastic summer adventures, chasing down their grandparents' runaway cows in spots around the world.

A cheerful fairy tale about how love can grow all the way to heaven... An enchanted princess and the brave young man who rescues her, cowardly princes and a confused king, scary robbers and an ugly sorcerer who has his eye on half the kingdom, and above all on the princess's hand.

When Winnie, who never reads, lifts off with a foxy stranger, sensible Harriet must use every ounce of energy and brain power to rescue her.

The story of Saint Wenceslaus, Duke of Bohemia, based on Josef Kajetán Tyl's stage play "Bloody Baptism".

Who is this confident man who, with unusual elegance and surprising professionalism, began working at the reception desks of the highest government and party leaders one day? Where did he come from, what are his tasks, and who entrusted him with them? These questions will be pondered in the film by members of the secret services, important and insignificant minions of the powerful, who are convinced that they know every link in the ingeniously opaque chain of relationships and competences of a centrally controlled state. Before the surprising revelation of the mysterious master of ceremonies living a double life, he manages to pull off one last stunt: a monstrous hoax whose consequences can only be tragic.

Franta and Ondra, eternal children and inseparable twins, live in a quietly magical world with their beloved animals. They share every moment, every thought, every routine. Outwardly they appear identical, yet inside they are two entirely different souls. Over time, their closeness begins to suffocate. Franta yearns for freedom, for flight, for life beyond the walls they share. Ondra remains rooted, content in the familiar, closed to change. Their bond begins to fray. Can they ever truly separate? How do you escape a world that wears your face? In the end, will love endure or will only death set them apart?

Blackjack isn’t a difficult game so everyone thinks they can play it. My father was a typical example. He thought luck would come his way but he lost everything instead. And I need that money. I want to be something he never was. I can’t think of anything else but humiliating him. He had fifteen years to change There’s no other way.

In this incredible story inspired by a true event, you will meet the savior of humanity, Lord Špekáček, who was born under the hand of the legendary Zdena, who herself chose and cut him. Our hero will have to face the awakened tree people who trapped Zdena under a root and conceived a tree mutant with her.

On Instagram Michal presents himself as a rapper who is one step away from stardom. In reality, he is a fast-food worker in a place from where no-one ever made the big time. What he doesn't yet know is that his dream will come true this afternoon.

This is not just a game. It is an escape from everyday life, an escape which is impossible to give up. Loaded Eels is a black comedy about a group of men who decided to escape from their everyday lives through role-playing. They pretend to be soldiers of SWAT team, evacuating community centers, dragging unsuspecting people into their game. They are driven by Adrenalin and delusion which makes them feel like Robin Hood. Stealing from the rich, giving to the poor. Everything goes smoothly until they find themselves in the wrong place and at the wrong time.

A documentary on how American films are made well at the renowned Studio Koliba, Slovakia and also the harsh and cruel view of why films do not go well in SR.

The film animation technique of pixilation was used in this short comedy. The notorious criminal Bloodthirsty Hugo has broken out of prison again. He is an arsonist, has no respect for old people and absolutely no maiden in the region is safe with him on the loose. In order to catch him his pursuers set a trap with irresistible bait: a lovely maiden bending over her washing by a stream...

The film takes place in one house, at an unspecified place, at an unspecified time. In this house, twelve dialogue stories take place and all have one thing in common - oppressive hopelessness. We witness everyday problems that become absurd under a distorted lens and become all the more real. The film follows with almost morbid interest the fates of people who, based on their actions and incompetence, are doomed. The question remains how far the characters from this "house" are.

Prague, night station in winter. Radka with a small daughter, a suitcase on wheels and a sports bag get off the bus. Luděk slowly walks back home through the streets of the same city, knowing that no one is waiting for him. A few hours before dawn, the initially purposeful intersection of lonely destinies can resemble a family. A Night with Agama is about the meeting of people who are dependent on the help of others, yet have to help themselves first and foremost.

A story inspired by real events from the 1950s to the 1970s. Honza Steiner was neither a tough guy nor a thug. He was just a boy who had the misfortune of finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. He ended up on the wrong path due to a series of unfortunate coincidences. Honza was raised in children's homes, juvenile detention centers, and eventually prison. He waged a long, undeclared war with a public security officer, one that was not exactly abounding in rules. The conflict culminated in a staged hunt for Honza, who unfortunately shot his arch-enemy and was sentenced to death for it.

This loose sequel to the fairy tale Crossed Swords reunites you with the clever and brave Princess Alexandra, who is now accompanied by her loyal and beloved husband Valentin. An exciting story of the royal family awaits you, full of intrigue that will be revealed in due course. The evil, vengeful Duke Gaston cannot accept that his older brother has gained the crown and with it all the power, and he weaves vile intrigues and evil plots with the generous help of the old magician Oton and his mute assistant Alík. The Duke longs to get rid of three people in particular who prevented him from achieving ultimate victory when he was already...

Princes flock to the Noodle Kingdom to compete for Princess Beatrice's hand in marriage. However, Prince Vladimir is not particularly keen on getting married, so he swaps roles with his servant Janek, a renowned chef. He has no idea what trouble this swap will cause him – immediately upon arrival, he is asked to take charge of the kitchen. And so Vladimír must deal not only with an unusual task, but also with his unexpected growing affection for the princess, whose father has meanwhile chosen a completely different groom for her. Perhaps only a magic noodle of knowledge can resolve this tangled situation.

Even a little slap from a parent can send a small child to an emotional spiral. A young boy runs away from home and goes to explore a frightening city behind the train rails. It delves deep into the city, finding way to release its own emotions and ultimately, deals with the trauma it's own way. Painted backgrounds are combined with 3D elements to create abstract broken landscapes that take us into the panicked mind of a young boy.

The Servant of Two Masters is a mature example of commedia dell'arte, featuring traditional characters and situations. It takes place within a close-knit family, where the main event is an engagement complicated by the servant Truffaldino, who is both cunning and foolish. He sets in motion a comedy of mistaken identities and misunderstandings, driven by his eternal hunger, through unexpected twists and turns to a happy ending. He is surrounded by traditional characters – commedia dell'arte masks – the worried father Pantalone, the wise doctor, and their children in love, an adventurous couple of lovers, the innkeeper Brighella, and the maid Smeraldina. Truffaldina is played by Miroslav Donutil, who continues the tradition of improvisation to the great delight of many audience members.

The film is a humorous exploration of married life, exaggerating the image of a "tired" sex life of a middle-aged couple. The search for the reasons behind his workaholic partner's lack of interest in marital sex leads him to believe that she is unsatisfied with sex with him for one reason only: he allegedly has a small penis. While comparing the size of his penis with his friend Boris, he is caught by his wife Vlaďka, who becomes convinced that her husband Leon is having an affair with his friend. At the same time, Leon envies the rich sex life of his neighbor Tomáš, who works as a television producer, filming journalistic reports on fraud and corruption, with Vlaďka as his assistant. Leon's brother-in-law Evžen is a member of a religious sect and tries to recruit Leon, but Leon resists. The story unfolds against a backdrop of misunderstandings arising from unclear information and constructions created by the individual characters...

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles is a detective classic that never fails to delight, with its clever plot, charmingly arranged scary scenes, and dry humor. All of this has been preserved in the theatrical adaptation by Petr Zelenka and Olga Šubrtová. They wrote it specifically for the castle park in Český Krumlov, where it is performed in front of the Revolving Auditorium. It premiered in June 2015, at the beginning of the summer festival season. Czech Television recorded The Hound of the Baskervilles at the end of summer 2018 with Karel Roden as Sherlock Holmes, Viktor Limr as Dr. Watson, and Jiří Suchý from Tábor as Sir Henry Baskerville.

The charismatic and self-confident man, Karel Král, is the editor-in-chief of men's magazine. Although a chauvinistic type, he is very popular with women. However, he struggles in his personal life. He frequently argues with his ex-wife over their 17 year-old daughter Julie, who despises his new way of life. Then the consequences of his behavior catch up with him. He loses his job, and the editor-in-chief position is given to a young and beautiful woman. But his bad luck does not end there. After another fight with his ex-wife and daughter, and a woman driver crashing into his car, Karel and his best friend Cestmír have an evening of binge drinking. During the wild night, he expresses a wish to be a woman. When he wakes up the next morning he discovers that his wish has been granted.

Stalin grasps a pencil in his hand as he prepares to draw a line on a map of the Soviet Union. Where the graphite touches paper, some 80,000 people— almost all of them Gulag inmates— will build a railroad in the gruelling conditions of the polar taiga.

Jakub (Matej Merunka), a co-owner of the travel agency Dolce Travel, is departing from Prague for the weekend in his hometown of Telc to celebrate the birthday of his mother. Meets Ilona (Agáta Krystufková), a longtime childhood friend whom he had not seen for several years, and he embarks on a spontaneous and intense trip to the Czech border. Their initially carefree journey during which they planned to flee to Italy to pick apricots, over time becomes more frustrating. A film about the current generation of young people, their loss of orientation, lack of important values, goals, fantasies and their own opinion.

Andjela decides to start an exciting and risky road trip adventure to Montenegro, in company of her best friend and two strangers, as part of a social experiment.

The once-prosperous Kingdom of Three Ponds has been laid waste by a curse that stripped its waters of every fish, bringing famine and unrest to the people - and bitter conflict to King Boleslav’s court. As schemers vie for power, most dangerously the trickster Nikdáš with a stolen magical rod, the young fisherman Ludvík emerges as the kingdom’s hope, determined to break the curse, restore the fisheries, and win the heart of Princess Lidunka.

Unemployed and in search of work, a young man gets roped into a series of shady schemes that unite a former band of money launderers.

Prague faces the challenge of a new zoning plan. The city's development leads to conflicts between the private developer lobby, city residents, and elected officials. By following several years of town council meetings, the film paints an image of a public policy apparatus that ignores the role of the urban planner. Using a journalistic approach, the filmmaker attempts to depict all points of view, although in the end the dominant perspective is of those who believe in the city as an expression of culture and quality of life.

Baku in Azerbaijan, the site of the world's first oil well, is once again becoming a focus for foreign investors eager to exploit the country's vast oil riches. "Source*" traces the pipeline from our commuter highways back to this surreal and sinister landscape on which our way of life depends, where cows graze on polluted land and children play in toxic gunge. With three quarters of the population living under the poverty line, the country's post-Soviet government is promising oil will return Azerbaijan into a real country, a prosperous and flourishing "New Kuwait". But between big oil companies like British Petroleum and the corrupt government lining their pockets, what does this mean for ordinary people of Azerbaijan? Is this "liquid gold" more of a curse than a blessing for this troubled country?

Kamila Bendová is a successful woman. She is fully fulfilled in her work and could be described as a workaholic. She is 39 years old and lives alone, except for occasional meetings with her boyfriend Igor. After a disagreement with him, she allows her friend Irena to persuade her to go on a weekend trip to Vienna. However, there is one problem on the way - a stop in South Moravia and a meeting with Laďa Bednařík, a fifty-year-old veterinarian who has been treated for alcoholism three times.

Just as good music can be played by a large symphony orchestra or a single blues musician with an old guitar, a good film can be made by large production companies or at minimal cost. Cameraman Martin Duba chose the latter path. He took his wife, children, animals, and friends, and together they shot a pleasant feature film on a literally family budget. Martin Duba's family plays Mr. Kuba's family, and their friends play their friends. The Kubas live on a farm during the summer, where they run a pub and breed horses. The father is an entrepreneur, but he is clearly not doing well. The farm is falling into disrepair. It is only with the arrival of the mysterious young man František that everything takes a turn for the better, and the story continues in an atmosphere that allows for miracles every day.

This documentary explores the traditions and contemporary rituals of tantra, a mysterious and provocative practice with roots in Hinduism and Buddhism.

After her mother's death, twelve-year-old Johana lives only with her father, who is clearly unable to raise her on his own. Therefore, she is sent to spend her holidays with her uncle, who lives alone on a rural farm. Johana, who is attracted to everything mysterious, discovers a mysterious German man living in an old tower in the neighborhood. Together, they search for the secret of a medieval legend about a gateway to other worlds. During their search, not only is their shared "Dänikenian" belief confirmed, but they also learn more about each other.

A young boy is forced to live with a chimney-sweeper family and be his apprentice after his parents death. Even though he is good chimney-sweeper and hard working, he would rather be a pastry cook like his late father.

Young man in the prison is obsessed with a singer who is to perform in a new musical its director is currently auditioning for. He escapes and through complex and often very funny series of events ends up being the main star of the musical, only to be discovered by the police the day before the premiere...OK, enough spoilers! The story keeps going on... Lots of great dialogs, awesome music and singing, and ever-twisting story (plus, the parallels between the play's script and the real story) makes this one of the most enjoyable Czech movies I've seen in years (and I've seen many)! Definitely check it out if you like comedy, drama, musicals, and theater.

What if you got the chance to build a new society from scratch, what would it look like? Located more than 200 km above the polar circle, the Swedish mining town Kiruna is built on the world's largest and most modern iron ore mining tunnel, which created a significant income for the Swedish government. However, due to the mining the city has started to collapse and in order to save the industry, the city council together with the mining company LKAB have decided to move the town and its citizens 3 kilometres to the east. In doing so, the town has turned a potential disaster into a great opportunity. The new Kiruna will be an even more progressive, even better society for the future. But is it even possible to plan an ideal world?

The story takes place in two kingdoms—Tatranský and Vltavský. The royal parents of the former have a son of marriageable age, while the latter have a daughter at an age when princesses are most interested in choosing a noble groom, preferably at a lavish ball. However, Princess Liduška is interested in only one thing in the whole world—her beloved carrier pigeons. She devotes all her time to them, and the only man she communicates with, of course via pigeon post, is an unknown fellow breeder. But Prince Vranko is also not interested in getting married and ascending the throne... And to top it all off, the clever maneuvers that Liduška and Vranko use to thwart their parents' wedding plans are complicated by a magical duo—the wizard Čaro and the witch Boska.

The budget for the program to colonize Mars was so drastically cut back that settlements never appeared on the faraway planet. Now the only reminder of the ambitious plan is an abandoned base inhabited by a very lonely robot. The silence and tranquility of the red planet is eventually disturbed, however, by a privately-funded Czech crew, whose members have taken on the mission for very different reasons...

A cynical take on "happily ever after"

Performances by leading Czech singers performing hits by Karel Svoboda and Michal David. You will hear songs you know from the musicals Dracula, Monte Cristo, Night at Karlštejn, and Cleopatra.