Discoveries from Czechoslovakia World Cinema

In 1976, the Czech New Wave philosopher and director Evald Schorm came to the Na zábradlí Theatre. He stayed there for twelve years, until his death. He raised a generation of actors who were aware of their own personalities. In The Brothers Karamazov, the then compact acting ensemble performed in full force on stage. Schorm created from ban to ban (Hamlet, Macbeth, The Brothers Karamazov, Marathon) and in front of Zábradlí, there were queues for tickets in double rows all the way to the Vltava embankment: when the subscription began, people slept outside from midnight until ten in the morning, when the box office opened, in sleeping bags, they brought fishing chairs to the theater. A ticket to Zábradlí was more valuable than Tuzex vouchers...

In southern Moravia, in the native village of Velka Samota, a ministry official returns from Prague to lift the declining JZD he helped establish.

Even the pre-Blohemian times were not idyllic. Even a bachelor, invited by the consuls to Rakovník to elevate the local education system, finds out. But the stingy and proud townspeople soon grow to dislike him, and even love does not develop according to his wishes.

On this naive and awkwardly narrated fairy tale it is remarkable that it also established the tradition of fairy tale stories in Slovakia. A certain refinement is the framing of the whole story with a puppet show that moves into the played scenes. The film carries out a folk tale of a stupid castle lord who lives in a ruined castle, a fraudulent painter and a lazy shepherd.

Two puppets, Punch and Judy, do battle to the death over the custody of a live guinea pig.

An animated film that recounts the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ described in the New Testament.

The story of a marriage. Mrs. Rabbit constantly watches her weight and counts calories, but she also torments her husband with hunger. So one day, on the advice of her colleague, Rabbit decides to pretend to have a lover. He hopes that the wife will be jealous and stop dieting. So while the wife goes to a spa to lose weight, the husband is flattered and fattened by his single colleague, Majka, an excellent cook. But what happens after Mrs. Rabbit returns home?

Wild Swine is actually an ironic name for the great search operation of Prague's criminologists, who in a tangle of criminal activity of various kinds were digging around like wild swine before they managed to solve a complicated case. The story takes place in a variety of social spheres, from the Roma people to the world of Prague prostitutes and bakshellers to prominent people.

The life of the Ťapák family is joyless. Twelve of them live in one room, no one considers that it is possible to live differently. They have already gotten used to it - they have no desire to change anything - after all, it has been that way for a long time. The heaviness of the Ťapák house is only disturbed by the bride Iľa, Paľ's wife. She is a midwife in the village. But they only want one thing - to have peace, quiet. This is how it goes day after day. Without excitement, slowly, with a bitter, almost imperceptible relationship to each other and to life in the village. The tension is only brought here by Ilina's efforts for change, to which the family members no longer even react. The smartest of the family is Anča. However, she does not want to become Ilina's companion. Both legs have been crippled since childhood, so she only watches her sister-in-law's activities with envy.

Bratislava, 1930s. The owner of a luxury tailoring salon, Alfréd Blum, has always relied on a classy clientele, thanks to which he rose to the top of society. But times change, the world is in an economic crisis, and Blum discovers that in reality he only has debts. He has completely lost his assets in shares, and his clients have to deny themselves luxury goods. The only hope to save his family from poverty is Blum's life insurance policy for 300,000 crowns. Therefore, the businessman turns to his old acquaintance, unemployed tailor Ján Kepeš, with an unusual offer. He gives him five thousand crowns and arranges a job for him in a Viennese salon. The condition is that Kepeš kills Blum...

A young princess arrives at her estate. She is bored by the welcoming ceremony and is quite happy to hear about the rebellious miller who refused to come to the castle. He lives with his mother and ward Hanička in an old mill. The miller is exempt from work, but he is obliged, if the lordship requests it, to accompany her with a lantern to the forest castle. The princess likes the miller and therefore uses his right...

Oldřich Nový was and will forever remain the embodiment of charm, elegance and personal charm for Czech cinema, to which all women, regardless of age, were subject. In his unforgettable lover roles, he was not only a romantic who was able to fall in love with a girl from an ancient painting, succumb to the chocolate-brown eyes of the minister's girlfriend, but also a seducer for whom infidelity was a regularly practiced sport, or, conversely, a newlywed obsessed with jealousy. This was exactly Viktorin, the main character of a crazy Art Nouveau comedy, where everything revolves around a massive deer antler. Its involuntary owner becomes the jealous Viktorin, and it is certainly not difficult to guess what such a "right" gift can cause.

Oldřich Daňek's play tells a love story from our ancient times about the beautiful convent inmate Jitka and the brave Břetislav, the son of the Bohemian prince Oldřich and the simple laundress Božena. This witty apocryphal uses semi-historical, semi-legendary material in a modern way.

Wealthy but alone, a king spends his days obsessively polishing shiny objects throughout his opulent castle. After a visit from a puckish forest wizard, the king earns a blessing – or curse – that turns anything he touches to gold.

Engineer Jan Sebek (Jan Kacer) is undergoing treatment in a mental home after his unsuccessful attempt to commit suicide. His therapist, via discussions both with the patient and with people who know him, tries to find out what made the young and seemingly satisfied man decide to end his own life. Jan's pretty wife Jana (Jana Brejchová) claims not to know about anything but she is conducting an affair with a family friend, almost publicly and with the blessing of her parents.

The film recording of the ballet performance of the State Theatre in Brno was expensively realized in a theatrically stylized set built in the Barrandov studios. The original ballet music by Václav Trojan, based on Shakespeare's fairy tale comedy, was preceded by incidental music for theatre and radio, and in particular the soundtrack to Jiří Trnka's feature-length puppet film A Midsummer Night's Dream.

An ideologically-oriented film set in a prestigious medical sanatorium - a young doctor sympathizes with the poor people of the area, helping workers and their sick children.

The TV dramatization of PO Hviezdoslav's epic tells of a time when the feudal system as a social force begins to disappear. Its only salvation is to merge with the people. Ežo is a supporter of this idea.

In the morning twilight of Prague, the dead body of the safe-breaker Toufar is found floating on the river Vltava with a knife in his back. Police inspectors visit Toufar's lover, the prostitute Anna Kulatá (Jirina Bohdalová), nicknamed Umbrella, and it is apparent that the moment before she opened the door of her flat, someone fled through the window. Umbrella is summoned for examination to the head of the criminal police - Police Councilman Vacátko Jaroslav Marvan, but although shocked by the photograph of the dead man, she does not confess to anything. Before Toufar, Umbrella lived with the safe-breaker Penicka (Radoslav Brzobohatý), who loved her very much and made her quit her street trade. But when he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, Umbrella began to live with the brute Toufar, who chased her to street again. In the case of the murder, Penicka is therefore the prime suspect.

The subject of this film, which takes an analytical look at the life of all of us with an analytical eye, is the evil microbe that has slowly infiltrated the organism of the Czech nation. Through the intertwining fates of three couples, it evokes domestic life before November 1989, burdened by a suffocating atmosphere of unfreedom, and after November, when relatively nothing has changed because people have not changed. The bleak conclusion suggests that the plague epidemic is still ongoing.

A report of embezzlement is made against Helenka, a popular clerk at the village post office. The investigation reveals that she is 200 crowns short and the girl commits suicide. Her protector and friend, the gendarmerie sergeant Brejcha, does not believe that the girl is capable of any crime, and he investigates how the money was actually stolen. Apparently, someone stole her money when she turned away from her window. He gets further clues from the new clerk who took over after Helenka...

An anthology in three jazz-infused tales: an idealistic student’s romance with a pragmatic trumpeter; a vibraphonist’s urgent journey ending in tragedy; and drummer Honza’s moral dilemma as he confronts how far he’ll go to obtain his dream kit.

This forgotten detective story starring Svatopluk Beneš focuses on those ills of the past regime that were allowed to be glossed over - mainly the theft of socialist-owned property and illegal business. Criminals here come across illegal machinations in the hospitality industry, foreign guests are even offered sexual services... But the youth-friendly story unfolds lazily, unimaginatively, emphasizing an excess of dully delivered dialogue that replaces action and suspense.

A defaulter avoids paying his fees, so he tries to install a TV antenna in his room. The rest of his family helps him, but in the end the man loses more than just the TV... And what about you, do you pay your TV fees?

A television adaptation of Jan Neruda's short stories The Bachelor and Mr. Carpet's Marriage.

Marta Hornová, a blind soloist of the radio orchestra, becomes acquainted with the actor of the state drama Robert Holan. He also meets her sister Helena, a talented sculptor, whom he mistakes for Marta. However, when he returns her blue veil, which she supposedly lost during their meeting in the radio building, Helena realizes that Holan actually loves her sister...

Pharmacist Janota's daughter, Karla, is about to get married to wealthy lawyer Jaroslav Kříž. On the day of the wedding, however, instead of the ceremony, she will have an appendectomy. After the successful procedure, the weakened Karla also develops severe pneumonia and even has a heart attack. Fortunately, she is under the care of Prague's best surgeon, MUDr. Hegl, who saves the young woman from certain death. Karla falls in love with the attractive doctor and begins seeing him. Hegl's resigned wife suffers silently from her husband's affairs in order to preserve the family. Karla's fiancé, on the other hand, cannot cope with the situation and commits suicide. When Karla becomes pregnant with Hegl, the doctor turns away from her. After all, he already has a new "patient". The girl is nevertheless determined to keep the child...

The film is based on a legendary school film of Tomáš Vorel, called INg (1985). The storyline stays the same - a young engineer finds a new job and wants to work, this proves to be impossible in the last days of the communist era.

A film about a young schoolgirl and her two loves: figure skating and music. Because she can't properly divide her energy and time between studying, sports and piano, she has setbacks. She is about to give up on one of her loves, but her teacher gives her courage and shows her by her example how to manage her energy and time properly.

The management of the Meteor motorcycle factory is forced by a representative of the central headquarters to accept the expensive design of a racing machine and abandon the unfinished prototype of a folk motorcycle of their own design. However, the factory's workers and technical team decide to complete the prototype of the "Pepíky", as they call their five-hundred-horsepower motorcycles, ahead of schedule.

The years of Mánes' studies at art schools and on the period when the mature and distinctive artist was already promoting his concept of a new decoration of the Old Town Clock.

The main character of the story is Professor Trojan, the head of a Prague clinic, who is not experiencing the happiest of times. His cat has been poisoned with cyanide, he has a falling out with his son Petr, who has moved to Brno to be with his wife, the promising singer Eva, and only seeks out his father when he needs money, and as if that weren't enough, someone shoots him in the evening. Trojan initially considers it a mistake or a prank and does not share the fears of those around him. But then cyanide is discovered and one of the patients takes it from the assistant Dvoracek, who borrowed it for an unauthorized experiment. Trojan pairs the cyanide with a gunshot and slowly begins to suspect that someone is trying to kill him. At first he suspects Dvorak, who might become the foreman after his death, but later, as he falls deeper and deeper into a psychosis of fear and apprehension, he begins to suspect everyone around him...

A comedy about exchange of 12 apartments , which, its organizer, lawyer Radosta, rightly called Action Ball Lightning. To prepare, organize and execute the exchange of twelve apartments is a work worthy champions. Radosta, who was excellently played by Rudolf Hrušínský, solved all sudden difficulties and complications on the fly and with grace. To be sure that the on the D-day everything goes well he prepares a little rehearsal, which reveals many minor issues caused for example by wedding ordered to inappropriate term or hesitation of some participants. Last but not least a night exercise announced by drunk psychologist Knotků, creates a lot of confusion that nearly sabotaged the whole operation.

In his feature debut, Dneska přišel nový kluk (A New Boy Started Today) from 1981, the director Vladimír Drha set the tone for a number of Czech films, which critically depicted the state of society from the perspective of young protagonists. Although, Drha primarily found scope for his work in television, he returned to the world of a “working youth” in his second film Mezek (The Mulish Victor, 1985) – albeit following him from the point of view of an educator. NFA.CZ

Austria's victory over Sweden at the 1947 World Ice Hockey Championship in Prague helped Czechoslovakia win the title of world champion. After the match, the cheering of the spectators in the stadium knows no bounds, and so it happens that dentist Jan Vaněček is kissed by an unknown girl out of joy. The kiss is captured by a film camera and is then seen in a film newsreel by Vaněček's fiancée Lída in the cinema. She becomes very angry and does not want to see Vaněček anymore...

The happenings in a shoe factory serve as a not very thinly veiled examination of the pros and cons of both socialism and democracy.

It's very human and nice story about lofty princess (her father is amiable but incapable - unforgettable performance of S. Neumann) and good, nice, kind and well-principled young king (prince) who tries to make tender her calm heart to get married with her. After being refused (she's very capricious), he conclude to make her better. He start to work as a gardener at her castle (in secret) and successively bring she to her senses...The story continues when already reformed princess and the young king (she learn about his real identity later) have to take refuge from troops, that princess father (old king) has sent (of course he took a bad and mean counsellors advice). They have to take shelter by several ordinary and poor families, which are always very friendly and give them a help... Of course the tale has happy end.

An elderly couple is planning a big family gathering. The husband is thinking about what he can do to make his wife happy. While walking around town, he meets an old friend and they have a few drinks together. After a dose of alcohol, the man trades his brand-new coat for a fox-head fur coat for his wife, thinking it will please her. But his wife doesn't like the gift at all and gets angry with the man. The couple argue, exchange insults, and finally decide to cancel the celebration. The man wants a divorce "due to insurmountable resistance"...

A story about three teenage boys growing up in less than ideal families who decide to leave their parents and strike out on their own for fear of punishment for truancy.

The story of a man who decides to leave his job and good position to return to his native region and become the administrator of an open-air museum. This step is primarily his personal rebellion against the abuse of his scientific work. It is only a personal confession in a conversation with his teenage daughter that brings him moral cleansing and a return to his lost psychological balance. The final film by Slovak director Stefan Uher.

A Czech psychological film about the school of life, its sorrows and beauties. The main character is a young aspiring nurse Marie Sahulová, who, after a trouble in the hospital - she secretly brought a boy to her boarding school - is transferred to a rural health centre, where together with an old doctor and a peculiar nurse she has to travel around twenty-five villages and a number of solitudes in the harsh environment of the neglected villages of the 1950s. The nurse, a wise and experienced woman whom no one calls anything other than "babi", becomes her guide, who introduces her to the practice and the pitfalls of private life in a distinctive way. In the mosaic of everyday worries and more or less serious medical interventions, Marie matures and finds the meaning of her work and life.

Seventeen-year-old student Milan wants to get rid of his morbid fear of flies, which originated sometime in his childhood. Only then will he feel mature and responsible for himself and his actions...

Approaches to important life values can vary: while the top athlete who has made it in cycling tries to monetise his talent, his brother cannot devote himself to his beloved sculpture because of his disabled arm and seeks alternative self-fulfilment. Moreover, the two are united - and at the same time divided - by a love affair with the same woman.

The film presents a parade of customs, music, songs and dances of the Slovak people in four seasons, based on a theatre play by I. Teren and K.L. Zachar from the first years after the liberation.

The film is a concert of well-known actors from an alcohol rehab where a middle-aged man has taken refuge to get rid of his addiction. In the rehab, cruelty is personified by the attendant who, with sadistic satisfaction, hands out demerit points for the slightest sign of displeasure or rebellion.

A comedy set in a circus setting. Artist Ivan Brabec visits the variety artist Bellinzon to ask for the hand of his daughter Dana. However, the old man throws him out because he promised his daughter's hand to the son of his old friend, a Hungarian magician. Moreover, he flaunts circus tradition and his family. But Brabec complains to the stagehand Šíša, who reveals a secret to him. Bellinzon does not actually come from a respected family of circus performers and his name is not even Bellinzon, but Kudláček...

The actress, who is starring in a successful theatre production, is offered a big film role by an Italian director. She decides to leave her current certainties behind and throw herself into the whirlwind of a tempting opportunity, only she doesn't count on the fact that not every expectation will actually come true as she had ideally hoped...