Discoveries from Czech Republic World Cinema

Impressive family film offers a unique stories of the wonderful animals who inhabit the Aldabra atoll, were born here, create communities, give birth to young and struggle for their survival.

Inspired by Jaroslav Durych's novel of the same name. The story of an aging man—sick, exhausted, and twisted by life—who arrives in the borderlands shortly after the end of the war, searching for the man who denounced and destroyed his family during the war. He meets a young German woman who has been stripped of her last shred of human dignity by the revolutionary guards. She is alone, without family or children, hiding from people who come to the border region to loot and enforce their self-proclaimed order. The two grow close, but before they even have a chance to tell each other their names, everything tragically...

A pensioner Petr Černý runs an amateur internet TV and twice a week he broadcasts conspiracy and anti-immigration news. During seven years of his broadcasting he has become an important spokesperson of the part of the society. At the same time, Petr Černý is also a proponent of cosmic mysticism and last but not least a generous person with deep human solidarity. Is it possible to understand a person who cosmically stays on top of things but at the same time refuses the changes that are happening in the current world, and not to make a fool out of him?

Pavel "Žalman" Lohonka has been a legend of the Czech folk scene for decades. Many of his songs, known for their characteristic melancholy, have become almost folk songs today. In March of this year, he will celebrate his 75th birthday. To mark the occasion, he organized a concert with his band at the Semafor Theater, during which his new album, Všechno je teď (Everything Is Now), was also launched. Its godfather was none other than Jiří Suchý. The concert featured not only songs from the new album, but also many proven hits, performed for the first time in front of television cameras by Žalman's current band.

An oratorio about the conflict between earthly and heavenly love, with which the Italian composer applied for the position of Kapellmeister at the Viennese court, will be performed in a period style. Recording of the concert from the 2010 St. Wenceslas Music Festival at St. Wenceslas Church in Ostrava. Antonio Caldara was one of the most important composers of oratorios. The main character, Magdalene, is a popular figure in works of art with religious themes. She was identified with the sinner in Luke's Gospel, who after her conversion became one of Jesus' closest companions. In the first part, Mary Magdalene decides whether to choose the path of worldly pleasures or to repent and devote her life to God. In the second part of the oratorio, we find ourselves in the house of the Pharisee, who doubts the sincerity of Magdalene's repentance...

It was a fateful August, and devastating floods ravaged Bohemia. Mrs. Gabriela lived alone in a spacious apartment near Prague. Perhaps she just wanted to help, or perhaps she wanted something more: either way, she called the news station to offer accommodation to an elderly disabled woman. The next day, Mrs. Věra arrived with only a bag of personal belongings that she had managed to salvage from her flooded apartment in Karlín. But perhaps this woman was looking for something more than just a roof over her head. As it gradually became clear, everything was a little different than it seemed. In any case, this situation offered both women a chance to resolve their lives, which were already drawing to a close...

After a girl gets raped, the only possibility for getting her life back to normal is a memory wipe. But when they meet again, only one of them still remembers the past...

Ctrl Emotion is a Czech comedy film. It was released in 2009.

Smetana's penultimate opera premiered on September 18, 1878, at the New Czech Theater. At the National Theater itself, it was staged in the 20th century, for example, from 1980 and 1983, respectively. The 2006 production in the second courtyard of the Litomyšl Castle, which was filmed by Czech Television, is characterized by a minimalist set with an imaginative neon silhouette of Bezděz Castle, as well as the fact that, with two exceptions, all the singers were performing their roles for the first time. Tenor Pavel Černoch, who at that time still had his international career ahead of him, excelled in the role of Vít... Since its creation, The Secret has been considered Smetana's most perfect and mature opera. Even the overture is a remarkably composed and superbly constructed masterpiece. After this successful premiere in Litomyšl, the performance became part of the repertoire of the National Theater.

The making of Roman Polanski's "Oliver Twist" as seen through the eyes of the film's child actors.

A troubled man is forced to repeat a grim task in 1940's Czechoslovakia. Over time, he starts to fail his task and work on his grotesque secret instead. The fear of his secret being discovered slowly becomes unbearable.

It's a fantasy house party from the 2000's and you're invited! Hosted by twin brothers Gred and Forge in their big family house while their parents are on vacation. Surely nothing could go wrong while the house is filled with magical creatures. Right?

Supposedly, all it takes is 36 questions and you’ll fall in love with anyone. Marie (Alena Doláková), a dancer who has just turned thirty, and her boyfriend František decide to check out this scientific theory for themselves. Yet can we rely on our love for other people if we don’t even know ourselves? A supremely contemporary view of 30-something individuals trying to navigate the way ahead.

A sexually frustrated journalist researches a group of men who leave society behind for life inside a cardboard box.

Psychologist Eliska contacts musician Martin with a request for him to perform at an event on mental disorders. Their intense relationship ends with Eliska's suicide, which will resolve long-lasting pain without cause. She flew through Martin's life like a spaceship. She left clothes, things, a farewell letter. But also memories, dreams and eternal encouragement to play. She's still with Martin. Like a memoir, as a gratitude for the experience, like a muse.

A trio of rock-and-roll musicians arrives in the south of France for a sun-drenched summer of debauched fun and romance in this breezy comedy.

Daňa Horáková, the wife of director Pavel Juráček, has written a harrowing book about her cohabitation with the director, one of the representatives of the new film wave of the 1960s. Juráček, the cursed poet of the screen, screenwriter and director, author of the award-winning films A Character to Prop and The Case for a Budding Executioner, and author of two voluminous volumes of his diaries. The idea for a film about two strange personalities came about after reading Dani Horáková's book about life with Pavel Juráček. The book is a very refined confession, a desperate life inventory, an indictment of the normalization regime in Czechoslovakia, which took away people's hopes of continuing their professions and sometimes their very existence. It is "An anatomy of a relationship, of a time, of creation, of love and hate", wrote Olga Sommerová, the author of the theme and director of the film, in the introduction.

It is a surprising mosaic of diverse environments and a colorful animal world... A huge lake. A world unto itself. The huge Lake Balaton was formed long ago in a world of volcanoes and ice ages. The largest inland lake in Central Europe lies in the heart of Hungary, on the plains stretching east of the Alps. Fresh water flows into it via the Zala River and a number of smaller seasonal streams. These waterways carry precious cargo to the lake. Countless fish swim here to their traditional spawning grounds. The dense local vegetation is popular with herons and cormorants; they have only one concern: to collect enough material to build their nests. So many young birds grow up here that the marshes are teeming with life. Just like the entire lake and its immediate surroundings, which are truly full of natural beauty.

There is only one room available at the motel, so the boss and his secretary have to spend the night there unexpectedly. They are long-time friends, and both have partners at home. During their nighttime conversation, they discuss everything that women are too shy to ask men and men are too shy to ask women. And that's not all...

A detective investigating a series of murders becomes a suspect himself. He is suspended from duty and conducts his own investigation. With the quiet help of a colleague, he finds a clue to the real perpetrator. A classic detective story that focuses more on the human destinies of the individual characters than on the investigation itself. The main character is best characterized by the dilemma that pits collegiality against duty. His personal story is also far from textbook, as he deals with shared custody of his daughter from a divorced marriage and a new relationship with a new woman.

On the one hand, the multi-layered film functions as an autobiographical portrait of a non-binary person, but at the same time it presents the wide range of difficulties and joys that trans and non-binary people in the Czech Republic go through. The personal is political in this film, which is why the kaleidoscope of situations includes intimate conversations with their mother over fried schnitzels, shots from Ride of the Kings, costumed festivities in the Slovácko region, talking about their coming out around the fire, and serious topics of discriminatory Czech legislation regarding trans people. The informal character of the film is enhanced by authentic interviews and handheld camera footage accompanying the lives of the protagonists.

A group of classmates is invited to stay at a spa. However, they experience many twists and turns, funny situations, but also personal dramas. At the same time, we follow the story of a young thief who gets a job as a cook at a luxury spa hotel and experiences his first great love when he falls for a beautiful maid.

In a small kingdom where King William and Queen Olivia are perpetually away, corrupt councilors Ferenc and Lorenc exploit their power by piling on ever-higher taxes, only to have their unjust levies thwarted by the noble robber Karaba, who ambushes the tax collectors and returns the stolen money to the people. After the birth of his daughter Anička, Karaba retires his highwayman’s tools and resumes life as a humble potter, even as the royal couple welcomes a son, Jakub, and the ministers’ greed threatens to draw him back into defending the common folk.

Film deals with domestic violence in the family..from psychological coercion to physical abuse. The story is not unique. Olga (Ivana Chýlková) graduated from college and started a successful career. But at the age of twenty-seven she married a twenty-year-old Vladimir (Alois Švehlík), a man with a much lower education than she . Instead of continuing a career , she stayed at home, taking care of the household and raising three children (at the time of our story, Olga and Vladimir have been living for 15 years). She became a mere maid, from which obedience and 100% household care is expected without any recognition or gratitude.

Lucie, a contemporary music composer and performer, creates bizarre pieces using knitting patterns or water turbine schemes, which the public struggles to accept. She prioritises authenticity over popularity, avoiding emotional storytelling in her music. Despite facing resistance from performers and listeners, Lucie remains dedicated, sacrificing much for her art. Her composition “Accept” succeeds, leading her to study in the Netherlands and USA, where she gains acclaim but finds personal life unfulfilled. After losing someone close, Lucie is left adrift in sound, questioning her ability to compose without emotion. Director Jan Hubacek explores these themes in his debut documentary.

The third installment in Dan Přibáň's series of travel documentaries describes the author's journey with his friends across South America in vehicles that are often notorious but cult in their own way. The charming dynamics of the group on screen are further enhanced by the high-quality craftsmanship.

A brilliant performance of Schönberg's monumental work at the Prague State Opera. Arnold Schönberg composed Gurre-Lieder to a text by J. P. Jacobsen about the tragic love of the Danish king Waldemar and his mistress Tove Lille, who was murdered out of jealousy by Queen Helviga. He orchestrated the composition for a monumental orchestral and vocal ensemble: five vocal solos, a narrator, a male and mixed choir, and a huge orchestra comprising 25 woodwind instruments, 25 brass instruments, four harps, a celesta, 16 different percussion instruments (including iron chains), and an exceptionally large string section. Every performance of this masterpiece, composed down to the last detail, is truly an overwhelming experience. SOČR chief conductor Petr Popelka seized this unique opportunity, as at the time of the performance of Songs he was also chief conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, and in this unique project he brought together the two ensembles entrusted to him.

At a roadside inn, the wandering knight Dan and his squire Vítek meet two offended former ministers of the Forest Kingdom. They complain that the young princess Jelena, who recently took the throne, spends her time hunting with her female companions, but hates men and does not want to marry—and with a capricious woman on the throne, the country will soon come to a bad end. This intrigues the young men—they have never met Amazons before—and so they set off for the capital city.

The amnion – the fetal membrane protecting the embryo – becomes a metaphor in the film for an intimate space where pain can be shared and a path to healing sought. This sensitive portrait of three women whose lives have been marked by sudden separation is carried from the outset by a meditative soundtrack that shapes an environment in which personal experience becomes expressible. Ritual gestures – traditional costumes, cooking together, hugging – create a protective shell that allows pain not only to be expressed and shared, but also transformed.

The utterly unique journey of Jakub Vágner and his team in search of rare tribes living in the wild in the most remote places on our planet...

Today, analogue video is attractive primarily thanks to the distinctive aesthetic quality of its pixelated image and raster errors. But for Czech artists who first explored the possibilities offered by video art in the late 1980s, this medium represented a path towards freedom. Through a portrait of her grandfather Radek Pilař, one of the pioneers of Czech video art, the director explores her own legacy of imperative creative fascination. Her film’s main story, i.e., the process of reconstructing the 1989 exhibition Video Day, contrasts this enchantment with life in the final days of the totalitarian regime, which different sharply with the adventures of those who decided to emigrate – whom the filmmaker also visits in order to discover forgotten works, get to know their creators, and re-establish broken ties.

Our hero is 25-year-old Štěpán – a nice enough guy but a bit of a waster who doesn’t have a clue what to do with himself. At the call centre where he works, he is jolted out of his lethargy when he takes a call from the mysterious and seemingly level-headed Marie. This playful flick revolves around young protagonists full of insecurities who are struggling to break out of the crushing stereotypical mould. And although Štěpán might not know exactly which path to take in life, the mere decision to put one foot in front of the other indicates a certain degree of progress. In its chosen stylisation the film opts for bizarre condensation and, in places, ventures into absurd poetics; even so, it reveals great understanding for its characters’ faltering moves.

The static environment of the kitchen will be disrupted by the arrival of a young woman - a new cook, with her efforts to adapt to the strictly defined working conditions and fit into the settled routine. When she realizes that the mechanism is starting to put a high pressure on her and destroying her individuality, it will be too late to free herself from the system she became a part of.

In a small and not very wealthy kingdom, there is one huge concern at the castle. The queen wants to marry off her adult son, Prince Emilian, at any cost. She has chosen the best bride for him, the noble and wealthy Princess Leonia. However, the future king of the country complicates this plan when he falls in love with the poor but clever and kind Stázička, the daughter of the local shoemaker Dratvička. He is not only a skilled craftsman, but also a clever practical man, and he shows not only the prince and queen, but also all the other conceited people, that the beauty of the human soul cannot be measured only by wealth and luxury.

An adventure story about three boys who are at summer camp and soon notice that very strange and unexpected things are happening near the camp. And like proper boys, they decide to get to the bottom of all these mysterious puzzles. After a series of adventures and comical misunderstandings, the story's dénouement reveals that the boys have helped expose smugglers who are bringing refugees from the East across the nearby border and robbing them of their meager resources.

Chytilová ran for Senate in 2006 as a Rovnost Šancí (The Equal Chance Party) candidate. The film is a collection of monologues by female party members from across the nation.

Sentiment is Tomáš Hejtmánek's intimate documentary portrait of the great Czech director František Vláčil. The film was inspired by encounters with the filmmaker and told through taped interviews, reconstructions of meetings with Vláčil, visits to actual film locations (of Marketa Lazarova, The Valley of the Bees and Adelheid) and Vláčil-inspired film sequences. The result is one of the most unique and personal portraits of any artist – a collage of voices, sounds and images that evoke and celebrate Vláčil’s life and work.

A feature-length documentary about the Prague band Tata Bojs. Called tata_bojs.doc, it looks at the history of the group, which celebrated 35 years last year.

The Czech Philharmonic, DEKKADANCERS, the Forman Brothers Theatre and Jatka78 perform Bedřich Smetana's masterpiece, "Má Vlast." Six symphonic poems resonate through the Czech landscape and history as a colorful map of memories, feelings and moments. The unyielding “Šárka”, the combative “Tábor”, the mythical “Vyšehrad” and “Blaník”, the magical “Vltava” and the romantic “Luhy a háje” come to life on stage thanks to classical music, contemporary dance and the poetics of the new circus.

Director Olga Malirova Spatova's feature documentary authentically portrays Karel Gott as a phenomenal singer who gives his all to his fans, as a painter, but also as a loving husband and father. A man who was spreading joy with his songs for sixty years, among several generations not only here, but also in Europe, and even worldwide. The singer traces the steps of his life, allows viewers to peek behind the scenes of concerts, and shows also his family life and privacy that he otherwise tries to lovingly and humbly protect.

Waves in the sea, the waves formed by wind in tall grass or the boughs of trees. Waves of emotion, shock waves from explosions, waves of people demonstrating against the arrogance of politics, waves of grief, waves of people crossing borders, waves of passion and joy...