Discoveries from Czech Republic World Cinema

Elder brother Lukás and his teenage sister Nela begin to feel something other than a sibling relationship to each other.

From intricate planning to focused training, this documentary follows Tatiana Mosio-Bongong as she dares to cross the Vltava River on a tightrope.

A film poem. A minimalist reflection on whether inner states are transferable by the film medium. The aim of a Buddhist mindfulness meditation is to clear away thoughts wandering from the past to the present, to be mindfully aware of each present moment. Each unique NOW NOW NOW passing away just like single frames while the camera grab snatches off meters of expensive 35mm material.

The poet Daniel Hradecký is the prime mover of a transgenre film about a journey into the depths of one's own consciousness. This black and white documentary parable looks into the soul of man through the interplay of sounds and raw images. Accompanied by dramatic music, several episodes unfold in the rough North Bohemian landscape, whose narrative is spun from fragments of the poet's texts and his memories, reconstructed by the film.

The film acquaints us with the work of the senior consultant of pavilion 11 in the Bohnice mental house who endeavours to build up a complex rahabilitation and re-socialising programme for patients with chronic mental illness. One part of her treatment programme is a week's stay outside the institution for selected patients. It is this week which is captured on film

The mole tries his hand at magic painting. He paints the mouse an identical twin and a bicycle, himself a "cloud bike," and in the end, everyone enjoys the painted cake...

Wolves are back. They bring along both fear and hope. Do they still have place in our nature?

Film shows life in industrial regions disrupted by global competition. In contrast to the prevailing neo-liberal rhetoric that considers unions to be a relic of the old regime, philosopher Václav Bělohradský, sociologist Jan Keller, economist Ilona Švihlíková and development expert Tomáš Tožiček present different Czech views on the economic crisis and its consequences.

Jan Šípek documented the unmistakable singer-songwriter and spiritual seeker Oldřich Janota (1949–2024) during the last period of Janota's life. This meant accepting the challenge and approaching Oldřich's song koans with a wholly original film style. The film was made on the day of the winter solstice during one of the very last performances of this great figure of Czech independent culture.

There is no place on our territory so closely linked to the Holocaust as Terezín. Our pilgrim wanders its streets and meets locals who would prefer to forget the grim history of their town, after all, it was "only four years". But even though the former ghetto is barely remembered, the effort to forget is not yet bringing the town back to life. So why has Terezín become a ghost town? And to what extent does its bleak present mirror our approach to Jewish suffering as such?

Nora, Kendy, Ivan and Andrej are enjoying their night out. Sparks are flying between Ivan and Nora, chemistry is working its magic - opposites attract. A non-verbal film about what we have all, each in our own way, experienced. It may not have been always pleasant, often not by any fault of ours.

When Iranian actress and director Pegah Ahangarani (1984) was growing up, she thought every soldier she saw on television might have been her father. During her earliest years he was fighting at the front, and a portrait of Khomeini hung in a prominent place in the house. But one day the image of the Ayatollah disappeared without explanation and another photo took its place.

After a revitalizing experience on his way to work , Charlie is driven to reconnect with his past.

The castle is preparing for the arrival of the princess who inherited the estate, the miller is in love with Hanička, as is the water sprite from the millrace, the teacher wants to complain to the authorities about his poverty, and the musician Klásek is running away from his wife. Seemingly everything is like something out of Jirásek. But that would be impossible if Josef Dvořák were playing the steward, the bailiff, the water sprite Michal, and Klásek. Hanička couldn't be missing parts of her underwear, the butler Franz couldn't have a suspicious fondness for his baroque outfit, and the princess (who got the estate back through restitution) shouldn't fall into unintentional (and unacted) fits of laughter.

How to raise boys in a time of changing roles and growing uncertainty? A documentary by director Andrea Culková follows four young people who, through their own theater project, explore questions of masculinity, emotions, and societal pressure – in dialogue with expert voices from the fields of psychology, history, and pedagogy.

Once upon a time there was a flower kingdom full of scents and colors, and because it was at the very end of the world, it was called Tramtárie. And that's where Hurvínek and Mánička set off. The once fertile land was hit by such a drought that the vain princess Gerbera fell ill and became sad. The elf Parliamentarian therefore declares that everything will turn for the better when someone is found who can make the withered flower laugh and bring her "blue from heaven". The task is indeed complex, not that Hurvínek and Mánička are rushing to it, but when the situation escalates and the princess threatens the pair of friends that if they don't fulfill it, her carnivore will feast on Žeryk, they don't hesitate for a minute. They don't have time to spare, the furry one could be amen at any moment! There is only one way out of this mess, Hurvínek and Mánička must find "blue from heaven". On their arduous journey, they meet the Lord of the Wind, but he doesn't know where to look either.

RICO pornorico is a fictional documentary balancing on the edge of mockumentary and improvisation, inspired by Sacha Baron Cohen or the film The Beach Bum. It follows the absurd character of Rico, known for stealing "vinčus" from live broadcasts, around whom the fictional plot develops. Through humor and awkwardness, the film tests the limits of audience tolerance and reveals the humanity and hypocrisy of a character who consciously refuses to submit to consumerism and social expectations.

In 2019, nearly 300,000 people gathered at Prague's Letná. They demonstrated against the Prime Minister, the President, but above all for democracy. Two students who were afraid for the future of the Czech Republic spoke to them from the stage. A unique film about Mikuláš Minář and Benjamin Roll reveals the riveting story of the founders of the Million Moments for Democracy movement. Director Amálie Kovářová spent six years filming behind the scenes of the group behind the biggest protest since the Velvet Revolution. It went through ups and downs, enthusiasm and lethargy, exaltation and disappointment of supporters. And Mik and Ben have lived it all from the beginning. Boys who believed that even in difficult times, hope could prevail.

They started working for the Karlovy Vary festival around the same time and soon worked themselves up into the festival’s management. Since then, they have helped shape the festival for more than twenty years, during which time they have been bonded by a sense of friendship and collegiality that far transcends their working lives. Kryštof Mucha, Karel Och, and Petr Lintimer. President Jiří Bartoška calls them the “architects of the festival,” and now you can get to know them up close and personal thanks to directors Milan Kuchynka and Jakub Jurásek.

A witty animated blackout about life of the Little Ones in between Big Ones.

The human body is an endless source of inspiration, reflecting stories and connections with the external landscape. As humans, we possess the power to create, reproduce, and thrive, yet we also bear the capacity to witness the devastating ruin of our planet. The direction we choose to steer the flora, fauna, and ourselves rests solely in our hands. Will it be a path towards destruction or a beacon of hope for a better world? Through graceful dance and artistic prowess, young artist Mr. Kriss weaves a visual poem depicting our intertwined existence within the cyclic nature of life.

This documentary follows the life of the director and how she's been impacted by the loss of loved ones to dictatorial orders in Iran. Each of the five 15-20 minute chapters focuses on a different person who influenced the director's life and whose story highlights a specific period in Iran's history. The film covers the past 40 years of Iran's history and uses archival footage to recreate the atmosphere of that time. The main theme of the documentary is separation and loss, as the director mourns the loss of each of the beloved heroes featured in the episodes. The film is a sequel to the director's previous successful short film "I Am Trying to Remember".

BrejkDenz Bradrz, in the words of the Karlovy Vary-based Czech Art Agency, are "two very sharp guys who aren't afraid to show the world that sweatpants... are the basis of everything." They have now joined forces with the creators of the show Žatecká Prda, otherwise known as the black pearls in the program of one of our regional television stations, and the result is a film parody that will delight every fan of the genre.

Freezing eggs today allows women to delay the ticking of the biological clock. In the Czech Republic, we already have almost fifty centres where these procedures are carried out. Moreover, after the pandemic wave, the number of women who have undergone this procedure has multiplied. It is therefore currently an unmissable demographic phenomenon that is making a significant contribution to population growth. In the long term, however, the statistics do not inspire much optimism.

A musical adaptation of an operetta by Vít Gregor. It was shot on location at Tovačov Castle, Šternberk Castle, the Haná Museum in Příkazy, Veselíčko Forest, Rajnochovice Gamekeeper's Lodge, and other locations.

Approximately 250 photographs by Roman Sejkot of a mentally handicapped swimmer which are wonderfully animated by the film's director. A selection of these photographs came third in the Sports Stories category in the 1993 World Press Photo competition.

Two young but remarkably talented performers came together for a joint performance at the Czech Radio Ostrava recording studio. Two outstanding soloists, pianist Martin Kasík and violinist Jiří Vodička, come from the Moravian-Silesian Region, studied in Ostrava, and this time joined forces in a demanding program. Jiří Vodička is successfully conquering Czech, European, and Asian stages. He is a laureate of the Young Concert Artist competition in New York. He returned from the US in February this year, having gone there to compete on the recommendation of Martin Kasík...

Performed by pianist Kirill Gerstein and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Tomáš Netopil, the concert will feature compositions by Smetana, Rachmaninoff, and Dvořák. Due to the renovation of Litomyšl Castle, the concert will take place in the Festival Hall, which was nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award in 2007.

Is it possible to interpret philosophical ideas through dance?

Surrealist puppet animation involving a bizarre family.

She is often called the first lady of Czech country music. However, it would be more accurate to say that Věra Martinová is one of our best pop singers. On top of that, she is undoubtedly an excellent guitarist. She had been planning her birthday concert for 2020, when she celebrated her milestone birthday, but the concert could not take place during the COVID-19 pandemic. It finally took place at the Hybernia Theater in November 2021 and was full of energy and great music in perfect interpretation. She performed her greatest hits, as well as songs from her latest album, Meritum.

On the 16th of January 2009, it will be 40 years from the self-burning of Jan Palach. He committed this act in protest against the progressing lethargy and pusillanimity of the Czechoslovak nation following the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968.

Karel Gott's concert is undoubtedly part of the Christmas tradition on Czech Television. The broadcast recording took place, as usual, at Lucerna in Prague on December 8 and 9 as part of the "Christmas Concerts – Karel Gott 1996" tour. Songs from the album "Zázrak vánoční" (Christmas Miracle) and the CD "Belcanto" were performed, as well as the ever-popular older hits and lovely guests invited by K. Gott to his program – Marta Kubišová, Petra Janů, Ilona Csáková, and Leona Machálková. The performances were accompanied by two orchestras – Karel Gott's Orchestra, conducted by M. Talián, and the Czech Christmas Symphony Orchestra, conducted by F. Preisler. And what would Christmas be without Christmas songs and carols? Of course, Karel Gott did not forget about them either. They will be the traditional highlight of the entire program, which will certainly contribute to the Christmas atmosphere in your home.

A bachelor's thesis created at the Department of Acting Direction. A silent film about two people who, although separated by only a few meters on their daily morning bus ride to work, must overcome a much greater distance when they decide to get closer.

"Yenufa" is an outstanding phenomenon in the music of the 20th century. Drawing on Moravian folklore, Janáček faithfully and deeply conveyed the drama of a peasant girl. The composer followed the path of Mussorgsky, revealing the spiritual life of people through the recreation of intonations of living speech. The libretto is based on a drama written in a naturalistic manner. Free from naturalism, Janáček's music has powerful emotional strength and psychological truth. It was written during a difficult period in the composer's life (illness and death of his daughter).

Sometimes life starts after death for someone. Like for a little parasite, who walks with a rotting corpse of a dead dog around an old landfill. Trapped in his unpalatable body he tries to find love and friendship.

The piece is focus on semantic properties of “truth” and alternately “post-truth”, in the context of today's information smog and media manipulation.The video features the dancer Meïmouna Coffi, and her choreography inspired by gesture-based technology.

It was winter, late January 1945. A group of German soldiers arrived in Loučka, a small Wallachian village near the Slovak border, with a clear mission. To suppress the partisan resistance in the Vizovice Hills and control the strategic crossroads where Loučka is located. However, they failed to achieve either goal. When the soldiers are withdrawn from Loučka, the Vizovice and Zlín Gestapo begin to deal with the "partisan question" in the region in a completely radical way...

A documentary that breaks the taboo surrounding sexual assistance for people with disabilities and offers a sensitive insight into the intimate lives of people with disabilities.