Discoveries from Czech Republic World Cinema

An original ballet by the National Theatre with music by Z. Matějů, choreography by J. Kodet, and directed by the SKUTR duo. Performers: M. Matějková, O. Vinklát, M. Ogimoto, M. Wenzelová, M. Deneux, A. Watanabe, and others. The National Theatre Orchestra is conducted by A. S. Weiser. Directed by P. Lauze... Hans Christian Andersen's immortal story of the little mermaid's love for an earthly prince, for whom she sacrifices the most precious things she has – her voice and her life – inspired librettists J. Kodet, M. Kukučka, L. Trpišovský, and above all composer Z. Matějů. In collaboration with choreographer J. Kodet and directed by the SKUTR duo, an evening of poetic dance images was created to the interesting, communicative, and inventive music of the Czech composer.

War doesn’t start and end in battlefields; it originates and is buried in peaceful cities. This film delves into the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, not by focusing on violence, shelling, or the victims, but by reflecting on the military vehicles that either enter or have long been embedded in the lives and minds of people across various countries.

Alcohol, national costumes, dance, as well as confrontation with unpleasant truths – that is what lies ahead for a young girl named Eliška, who gets stuck in a mysterious pub. She has to find an answer to whether everything ends with death or, rather, it is only the beginning.

Due to cognitive limitations, Jim believes love and life's challenges are unreachable. Burdened by immense loneliness and self-doubt, he questions whether he truly belongs in this world.

Two little axolotl siblings, Axl and Lota set off after an argument with their father on an extraordinary journey into the unknown to forge an unlikely alliance between two worlds.

In a moment of passion, a man and woman are together in way that asks both of them about themselves.

Adults reflect on the experience of losing a parent at a young age.

Antonin is a young miner. He is daydreamer and he would like to find a motivation to keep working in the mine. One day he notices a sun shape on the rice served in the lunchbox. It becomes a daily routine to see a new shape every lunch time.

Men and women, all dressing up, awaiting, tempting, enjoying the bliss or sadly unsuccessful. Delights of the body, yearning, excitement, luxury, decadence, erotic of the common day. The erotic as frivolous, mischievous, frolic, comic and sometimes also slightly serious animated musical erotic fantasy. Much like the modern dance art, the film is marked by interplay of the visual and musical components – picture, rhythm, color, motion. The film consists of separate sequences, each of them accompanied by individual musical movements of Mr. Saint-Saens’s compo­sition.

The princess, who laughs at the lake lord's feelings because of his non-human appearance, is herself transformed into a living golden statue. The curse can only be broken by the love of a man who loves her just as she is.

The Golden Gate is a well-known children's rhyme, but also an ancient image of the Last Judgment, when souls pass through the golden gate into another world and, before being admitted, are fought over by an angel and a devil, good and evil. In the spirit of this analogy, the film tells a compelling contemporary story about an unconventional love affair. Eva Štanglová is a university professor. After a failed marriage, her husband has just left her and moved in with his Italian mistress. Eva feels betrayed and completely alone. There is someone close to her who is just as lonely. He is a Moldovan guest worker, working as a bricklayer on scaffolding outside Eva's window.

A seemingly harmless fit of jealousy between two lovers brings about an increasingly sinister entanglement of events. Hidden secrets are revealed, sly lies are decoded, and eventually the characters begin to show their true colors. In this thriller, gripping until the last minute, nothing is as it appears to be at first sight

Appeal against consumerism. Three 1 minute shorts.

How incomprehensible would a higher intelligence find the plodding human species and the way it treats the Earth? And do Czechs differ in the way they care for nature?

This documentary essay introduces a peculiar trio of men united by their passion for hunting. Each of them conceives of hunting in his own way, luring the viewer to an exotic safari, to an antlered trophy collection or to a sitting in the woods.

King Henry disapproves of the love between his daughter Doubravka and Thomas, the gardener and son of a friend who died for him in battle. He is convinced that Thomas cannot take over the kingdom because he is not of noble birth and, moreover, is too kind-hearted. And a ruler must be tough. The noble Prince Arthur of Nebesníže, who can also talk to echoes, would be a more suitable groom. Tomáš and the princess defend their love and each in their own way defy the king's will. Tomáš fights the prince of Nebesníže with echoes, and Doubravka runs away from the castle. If it weren't for the good flower fairy from the castle greenhouse, Anna's nanny, and the old gamekeeper, who knows how their young love would have ended.

A brief journey through the art of Megadeth's discography.

Concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band Druhá tráva at the Stará Střelnice club. The entire concert can be seen as a cross-section of Druhá tráva's 20-year career mixed with their current work. A big bonus of the Druhá tráva concert is the participation of American legend Peter Rowan, who will be performing as a guest. Peter Rowan is a songwriter, guitarist, and singer, a world legend of country, bluegrass, Tex Mex, and many other styles, which he loves to combine. This musician is one of the legends of the 1960s, having played with Cherry Garcia and others.

A concert by an exceptional Czech singer-songwriter with unique accompaniment by a symphony orchestra in the KC Peklo hall in Pilsen. Singer-songwriter Radůza has long been one of the most distinctive figures on the domestic music scene. It is fitting that she was discovered years ago by Zuzana Navarová, herself an iconic figure in Czech songwriting. Radůza seems, in a sense, to be following in her footsteps, or at least drawing inspiration from her discoverer. Her distinctive work, delivered in a evocative, raw interpretation, quickly found a large following...

Even a college education does not protect against temptation—the young hero ceases to distinguish between right and wrong, but strangely enough, even his education does not help him to detect the fraud committed against him in time. Michal Najman, a student at the University of Economics, earns extra money as a pest controller. After being accused of exterminating expensive nutria, he signs a bond for a considerable amount of money. He naively agrees to repay the large debt without verifying its validity. He does not have the money and decides to obtain it through currency exchange and later through theft. And so, the initially blameless young man sinks deeper and deeper...

A conversation between friends about relationships and feelings is developed in an imaginative, colorful animation. Despite their different life experiences, which are also influenced by the fact that one of the girls has Down syndrome and the other doesn‘t, they both deal with similar issues. What if they had The Autoharp Crushing on Hot Guys.

Torn between her Vietnamese roots and her Czech upbringing, Mai, a photography student in Prague, must make a choice that will turn her life upside down when her parents arrange a marriage to secure their family's future. Torn between duty and desire, Mai must confront her identity, her love, and her place in two worlds.

A short study of a life crisis, the journey out of its grip, and the encounters that occurred along the way. Mirek experiences one life crisis after another: his wife leaves him, his doctor informs him of a serious illness, and he loses the strength to cope with the reality of his situation. He tries various approaches, but it is only a seemingly trivial encounter with a fisherman that causes a shift in his view of the world and he regains his original confidence.

The preservation and development of traditional folk crafts is in the hands of skilled individuals... Wicker Beauty presents portraits of those creators from among the holders of the title Bearer of the tradition of folk crafts, for whom the basic working material is various natural weaves. We will show baskets woven from pine bark, tying birch brooms or traditional products from willow wicker and also from pedig, which is a material obtained from tropical liana in Southeast Asia. The five award-winning manufacturers continue the legacy of old basket makers and, together with their families, maintain a tradition in their home workshops that continues from generation to generation.

The six-hour essay in four parts examines the history of regimes and revolutions, leaders and martyrs, from a philosophical perspective. The collage of personal memories, staged scenes and archives of collective memory compares the Prague Spring to the Velvet Revolution and shows the exposure, conflict, crisis, and catharsis of the post-communist society.

Nearly one in ten Czechs over the age of 15 face some form of distraint, under which their property is seized because of money they owe. Every day, more and more people fall into the debt trap, but Karel is on the other side of the barricade – it is his job to collect their debts.

Through unique artistic approach, the director reveals the world of autism - bringing the audience closer to the main characters - talented and creative children with a fascinating way of thinking.

In her feature-length debut, Marie-​Mag­da­le­na Kochová uses the character of eighteen-year-old Johanna to explore the phenomenon of “glass children” – children who, because they have a special-needs sibling, are neglected by their family, however unintentionally. They often feel invisible, their problems are always considered less important, and they are often expected to help take care of their disabled brother or sister. Johana is about to graduate from high school, and so she must decide whether to leave home to study, or stay and help her parents. An immensely sensitive account of the nature of sibling love which, for once, puts “the other one” first. Anna Kořínek (kviff.com)

The story from a small Czech mountain village takes place over five days in February 1948 and describes the fate of a young couple, Tomáš and Vendula, against the backdrop of events that reflect the atmosphere of the time, with a political crisis brewing and radical changes on the horizon. The preparations for the wedding of the young couple – miner Tomáš and teacher Vendula – are not going according to plan. Food such as sugar, butter, and bread are still rationed. In addition to their personal problems, the escalating political situation further complicates matters. The lives of Tomáš and Vendula are affected by the disputes between their grandfathers – retired miner Václav Kašpar and his childhood friend, grocer Rynda. The youngest descendants of the feuding families thus find themselves in the fateful position of Romeo and Juliet.

Film in hand. Carnival in the global village.

The documentary Farma Květná follows the fate of three young men who have hit rock bottom, living in orphanages, in detention centres, on the streets. Now they have found work, and with it an unrecognised sense of meaning and self-worth, at Farm Květná, founded by former Interior Ministry official Ferdinand Raditsch. In it, he offers unorthodox support to those whose circumstances have destined them for an unfavourable starting line.

Short animation by Diana Cam Van Nguyen

Zdeněk and Jana take care of their little daughter Jitka together. Both sacrifice part of their privacy for their family. Both feel that they are doing everything they can, but at the same time, both are convinced that the other should do even more to make it "fair." What starts as an innocent crisis between two partners gradually escalates into hatred with almost criminal consequences.

Hundreds of thousands of Czech men and women who travel to the seaside in Croatia every year not only shed their clothing, but also their cultural mimicry on the country’s beaches. From distinct and close encounters between Czech and Croatian people comes a documentary about the human need for the sea, saving money at all costs, and returning to the same places. This peculiar ethnographic study sparkles with tragicomedy at the moments when it most consistently applies the techniques of participant observation. Seen through Croatian eyes, it seems that Czech people truly can be recognised by the socks in their sandals, the pâté and beer in their bags, but perhaps also by their humour, which is something the locals lack.

This documentary reflects people's desire to be happy in a rapidly changing world, even if that world is as delicate as spring ice. The film looks at the life of the Estonian coastal people on the ice road through the eyes of the Greek traveller Pytheas, 23 centuries after his visit to Estonia.

A special acoustic recording of a cult band from Ústí nad Labem was created in the Broumov forests near the Polish border in the deconsecrated church of Our Lady of Help. The members of the Rocking Horse band chose songs from the albums "Hotel Palace", "Everest", "Where are my friends tonight?" for the concert in the former tabernacle, now known as Soul Church. or "Desolation Peak".

Through the imagination of its young characters, Barbora Halířová’s humorous film uses a game of hide-and-seek to pull the viewer into the surreal world of the human subconscious.

We find ourselves scrolling through a regular social media feed. Except it is the year 2034. And humans just invented a possible way to deal with climate change: Growth Project. A technology that allows us to grow forests in a matter of minutes. People are voting and sharing their opinions whether Growth Project should be put into practice or not…

During the so-called normalization period, Teplice, once a beautiful spa town nicknamed "Little Paris," is devastated, much like the entire northwestern industrial border region. It is often shrouded in dense smog, making visibility limited to just a few meters. Teplice is also a stronghold of a specific punk subculture and a city of exceptional alternative culture. The story of Pavel and Renata primarily unfolds in Teplice. They aspire to live freely, in accordance with their ideals. However, their lives are consistently disrupted by the repressive communist regime.

The top-secret project, which Kazma and his team have been working on for over 4 years, enters cinemas for the first time ever as ONEMANSHOW in feature-length format.

Two girls wait to be picked up at the train station. One finds herself unable to let go of the end of a trip she wants to last forever.

A fairy tale for hearing-impaired children and their parents, performed by deaf actors in sign language. The deaf community has enjoyed significant support from Czech Television for many years thanks to interpreted programs and closed captioning. This year, the magazine Televizní klub neslyšících (Deaf Television Club) is celebrating its 35th anniversary. The creators of this club program have therefore decided to dedicate this year's final episode to deaf children and their parents. The result is the fairy tale Vánoční království (The Christmas Kingdom), performed by deaf actors in sign language, a fairy tale that is understandable not only to the hearing impaired, but thanks to dubbing, will appeal to all children. Above all, it shows that even hearing-impaired people have a sense of humor, are great actors, and can delight anyone who loves cheerful stories and a fairy-tale atmosphere. It shows that the worlds of the deaf and the hearing are closer than many of us think.