Discoveries from Czech Republic World Cinema

This film takes place in a world where clouds knowingly interfere with people’s lives. But the people don’t suspect a thing. The whole history of the clouds is revealed after a newborn cloud tries to help a selfish biker. However, because of the biker’s recklessness, nothing changes for humanity.

How to deal with a tricky puzzle? What if one of the solutions brings new problems?

A recording of a theater performance by the Dejvické Theater. At a half-forgotten gas station somewhere in the American Midwest, a dog has died. And yet something extraordinary is happening here. People who enter this place find themselves caught in a space-time loop from which they cannot escape...

A documentary film that asks questions related to the topic of faith, manipulation and raising children in controversial Christian groups. The film's director, Tereza Nvotová, attended the bilingual "School of the Future" as a small child.

The poetic film My Love of the Sea is a meditation on self-discovery and the connection between humans and nature. When a young woman goes for a swim in the sea, this process becomes a form of liberation for her, a way to detach herself from the worries of everyday life. This moment of release is guided by a narrator with a hushed voice, accompanied by dreamlike cinematography and shots of natural scenery.

The caretaker exhausted by everything, his frustrated wife and one totally depressed deer. Their mutual despair leads them to absurd events, because... shit happens all the time.

For 23 years, Helena Třeštíková followed the story of actor and stage director Jakub Špalek. The first piece of footage was shot in Autumn 1989 when Jakub, then a theatre academy student, was actively involved in the Velvet Revolution. Back then, Jakub dreamed of running his own theatre company which soon came true - he is still in charge of Kašpar Theatre in Prague. The film documents the difficult life of an independent theatre manager, as well as his many personal struggles and joys.

The film explores the toxic relationship between mind and body. What can happen when the two become disconnected? A young woman is so obsessed with solving sudoku puzzles that she completely ignores her exhaustion, hunger, and stiffness. Their conflicting goals cause the woman to split into two parts — head and body. Later, they try to live separately.

Various legally available substances are creating bad habits in children and young people, causing disastrous physical condition and significant health complications. A key part of the documentary are the authentic stories of young people who were willing to share their personal experiences and problems associated with the use of these substances. While filming, documentary filmmaker Ivo Bystřičan worked closely with experts from leading organizations that specialize in working with young people at risk of addiction. The documentary seeks to offer an authentic and ethically sensitive view of the problem of substance use among young people and draws attention to its health and psychological consequences. It also shows ways to address these problems with the help of experts, therapists, and families who provide young people with support on their path to recovery.

A comic opera in two acts about the fickleness of women performed by HAMU students at the Disk... The alleged amorality of the story condemned Cosi fan tutte (They are all like that), Mozart's last opera to a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, to numerous contemporary adaptations and even to oblivion during the 19th century. What was the outrage? Following a bet, two bachelors in exotic disguises successfully exchange their fiancées, who have sworn eternal fidelity to them before parting. It's an old-fashioned plot based on a judgment on female constancy and male boastfulness arising from exaggerated vanity...

Documentary about crisis in Czech TV during 2000/2001.

While carrying out a dangerous mission to evacuate women from the occupied Ukraine, Bohdan faces unexpected challenges. When he uncovers the secret of one of the refugees, Anna, this revelation endangers not only her safety but also his own life. Forced to make a difficult choice that tests his determination and moral principles, Bohdan decides to conceal the truth in order to give Anna a chance to escape.

A minimalist portrait of ultimate love.

During a very harsh winter, a hare has to deal with the bitter cold, hunger and the threats posed by hunters and other animals. One day he sees the easy, comfortable and safe lives that rabbits lead. He decides to go and stay with them in the hutch.

This powerful and inspiring feature-length documentary describes the incredible "Japanese journey" of Olympic judo champion Lukáš Krpálek against the backdrop of the unknown story and confessions of his greatest rival. Gentle Fighter is a film for anyone looking for inspiration in stories about willpower and overcoming obstacles. It is a film that shows that true strength does not come from the size of muscles and the power of tendons, but mainly from the mindset.

A live recording of a jazz concert dedicated to the memory of Karel Růžička, who was the teacher of pianist and composer Tomáš Sýkora. Together with his trio and the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sýkora will perform Růžička's famous composition "Lovebird," which was originally written for a chamber ensemble and jazz quartet. Sýkora has also enriched it with a new arrangement. The concert will also feature Sýkora's five-movement suite "Hidden Songs" and the extensive suite "Grace and Gratitude," which was based on compositions by Růžička's son, saxophonist and composer K. Růžička Jr. The compositional inventiveness of both Růžičkas and T. Sýkora complements Sýkora's art of sensitive and effective orchestration perfectly in both compositions.

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".

Charlatans or therapists offering alternative treatment? New Facts about Akvap's Prague Consultation and Therapy Institute in the current document by Šárka Maixnerová. (Česká televize)

Slavek is an elderly caretaker of a public lavatory and is proud of his job. He becomes anxious to see more and more automatic toilets installed in town. Then something changes. He falls in love with a woman toilet caretaker who is working on the other side of the street.

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 real story about finding the most famous non-soldier of a college whose life was in such shit when he had to start filling up all the toilet cabins with them. Officer Arnošt will do anything to trick them and solve this seemingly banal and bizarre case.

It's nighttime in Prague, 21 August 1968. Soviet troops and tanks are occupying the city - random attacks, soldiers shooting, bodies lying dead on the sidewalk. With an impromptu crew, the director (Karel Roden) captures some unique evidence - material which is, however, worthless in occupied Prague; it has to be shown to the rest of the world. So, while the Soviets are concocting false reports of heartfelt receptions without military resistance for propaganda purposes, the director sets off on a risky trip across the closed Czech-Austrian border to Vienna.

This short film explores the stages of the creative process through the voices of different creators from all fields of art. To convey the message, it employs a combination of every possible animation technique.

The film based on the poem by Aimé Césair was created for a series of one-minute-long films inspired by the poems of this French poet commemorating the 100th anniversary of his birth. The French original was narrated by Jacques Martial with music composed by François Causse and produced by MAUR film for the company La Maison Garage. The Czech version was translated by the French poet and translator Bertrand Schmitt and narrated for the cinema by actor Viktor Preiss. The film was animated with the demanding technique of oil painted on glass directly in front of the camera and the production in the Anima studio took almost three months during this spring. The same technique will be used for an animated co-production film directed by the French director Florence Miailhe with Lucie Sunková as the main animator.

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.

In a world where women lay eggs and are required to submit them to the government, Emma decides to keep her egg for herself.

How are dresses made? A short film offering a glimpse into the sun-filled studio of fashion designer Josefin Bakošová.

Two thieves are eyeing a target. And the chase then ensues. A student film from 1994.

Verunka, a village girl, is about to marry Jakub, a kind and loving young man. And yet the girl wonders whether she should want more and whether such pure love is not too ordinary. Soon, both young people will face a difficult test of their feelings, prepared for them by the queen of the Rojenic fairies. Verunka and Jakub pass the test.

Refugees from the Caucasian republics, Armenians, Azerbaijanis and Russians, meet on the shore of the Black Sea: they work as shop keepers, life guards, karaoke singers, or just enjoy their holidays. It all happens at a place called Broadway, which is no-where to be found on a map, not even the most detailed ones. The temporary inhabitants of Broadway construct a whole world en miniature, consisting of small carts, tents or booths parked in close, haphazard rows. The scenery, which is put up for a few weeks during the summer, bubbles with life – and in no way corresponds with ordinary daily life in Russia.

Having moved with his mother to the Czech Republic, 16 year old Sasha finds himself unexpectedly a first love when David, a charismatic rowing coach enters their lives. Sasha finds himself having to balance a complicated triangle of affections as David enamours both him and his mother.

The little mole's hill is full of coal. He wonders why his friends are so happy about the black stones. But when it is getting cold and snowing the little mole finds out how useful the stones are.

A young man becomes the center of attention after being punched on a night out. To continue receiving attention he must take matter into his own hands.

Filmed at the St. George Basilica in Prague during the 1996 summer solstice.

Dichotomies of the world are not something of Christianity itself, but were formed later, from the early church fathers. This extended through institutionalization, the arrival of capitalism, the enlightenment to today’s perverted form, which has little to do with early Christian groups characterized by their cultural decentralization and non-hierarchical nature. Certain instruments of criticism are offered by contemporary feminist protests, which are growing all over the world.

A fairy tale about ghosts who have lost their home and are looking for a new one. When they finally find a dilapidated house they like, a young married couple appears as the new owners. After their initial renovations, it becomes clear that the gloomy atmosphere of the house is in jeopardy. And so the ghosts, led by the White Lady, decide to drive the young couple out.

First World Problems. The worries of living in a rich, industrialized society that third worlders would just roll their eyes at.