Otakar Vávra

The film is essentially a feature-length commercial for an exhibition to mark the 40th anniversary of the nationalisation of the Czechoslovak film industry, to be held at the Prague U Hybernu venue. The protagonists of the piece are comedians Oldrich Kaiser and Jirí Lábus, who are set to accept an award from Japanese television representatives at the exhibition. At the same time, five gangsters plot to seize a revolutionary invention devised by professor Suzuki - a super holograph, which enables any figure from television to be transported in the flesh into the real world, and vice-versa.

A film about filmmaking.

Otakar Vávra walks through Prague in front of the camera and with the camera, and remembers those who in the 1930s determined the pulse of the cultural and political life of that time.

The 50th anniversary of the Barrandov studios was celebrated with a spectacular show: many directors and other important people gathered in the expensive decorations of the Variety Theatre auditorium (built for the Circus Humberto series). They smiled and showed well-deserved relaxation after a job well done in managing socialist cinema. Vladimir Sís interspersed this with excerpts from films, mainly his own and also a little of others who had worked on the "Hill of Dreams".

Ester Krumbachová - a costume designer, screenwriter, director; one of the boldest personalities of the Czech New Wave. She worked in theatre, she was a writer and an illustrator. She co-created films such as O slavnosti a hostech (1966), Sedmikrásky (1966), Vsichni dobrí rodáci (1969), Pension pro svobodné pány (1968), Valerie a týden divu (1970), Slamený klobouk (1972) and many others. In the 1960s, she was a 'pivot' of the art scene in Prague, attracting artists who were on the threshold of their career, just setting out to find their own form of self-realization. Those who underwent her tutelage remember her forever. Director Vera Chytilová talks to those who knew Ester Krumbachová, who worked with her, befriended her, loved her. She sets off on a search that is to end by answering the question: Who was Ester?

An epic exploration of the Czechoslovak New Wave cinema of the 1960s and 70s, structured around a series of conversations with one of its most acclaimed exponents - Closely Observed Trains director Jiří Menzel.

A socialist drama from the time of the February coup. The owner of the brickyard will use several workers before February in order to subvert worker solidarity and continue to do his black business. However, the vigilance of a young, aware worker prevents him from doing so.

Montage of documentary footage from the liberation and building of the republic as a tribute to JV Stalin on his seventieth birthday.

Montage of documentary footage from the liberation and building of the republic as a tribute to JV Stalin on his seventieth birthday.

A daughter of a celebrity family experiences a holiday adventure with a mysterious young man. Though she is strongly attracted to him, she is also concerned about his sinister, panicky speech, his fierce charisma.

The Czech revival movement is divided at the end of the first half of the 19th century. While the older generation, such as František Palacký, urges restraint, students lean towards radical positions. A report on the revolutionary events in Paris prompts Czech Prague residents to write down the demands of the Czech nation for self-determination and the proclamation of a constitution. Tensions peak during the All-Slavic Congress in Prague's Žofín. Vienna rejects the Czech demands and the congress is brutally dispersed by the Austrian police. Prague begins to build barricades...

The plump, punctual and slightly despotic Mr. Tříška worked as a housing officer, which completely damaged his psychological resilience, he is short-tempered and easily angered. The intended rest in the countryside, where he went with his whole family, however, turns out completely differently than he expected - because all the hardworking hands join together to ensure the fastest possible completion of the agricultural work, and there is also time left for his singing interests. And the main character is finally so carried away by the new environment that he eagerly joins in.

When a man stops at a motel one evening in 1961, his tormenting behavior drives one of the people present at the motel to remember his experiences in a concentration camp during WWII.

A young doctor and a group of injured are hiding in an underground shelter and are liberated by Soviet soldiers.

An innkeeper is grieving because his wife left him for a second-rate actor. His two nephews, who are not on speaking terms, have to take over the running of the establishment...

An innkeeper is grieving because his wife left him for a second-rate actor. His two nephews, who are not on speaking terms, have to take over the running of the establishment...

An innkeeper is grieving because his wife left him for a second-rate actor. His two nephews, who are not on speaking terms, have to take over the running of the establishment...

In early 20th century Czechoslovakia, a gravely ill chemist recalls his discovery of a powerful explosive and how it landed in the hands of anarchists.

An adventure story for young people set in a summer camp for boaters in Juná. Eda, marked by a tragic experience of occupation, has difficulty getting along with the other boys. He only gains their trust and friendship when he helps to uncover German saboteurs.

A fiction piece centered around the Czech resistance to the Nazis.

A fiction piece centered around the Czech resistance to the Nazis.

The new era brings with it progress, which must inevitably penetrate even the most remote corners. It has also reached the village of Čirá. The men there have a number of modern machines that make their work in the fields easier, while their wives still toil in the household. One help is readily available - a communal laundry could replace the traditional washcloths. However, the men who rule the municipal council do not want to hear about such spending. So the wives join forces in resistance and resort to severely repressive means...

Saxony, devastated by the Thirty Years' War, is led by the comedy troupe of the principal Fortunato. The student Vavrinec has fled Bohemia and greatly values the text of Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, which he has acquired on his wanderings around the world.

Saxony, devastated by the Thirty Years' War, is led by the comedy troupe of the principal Fortunato. The student Vavrinec has fled Bohemia and greatly values the text of Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet, which he has acquired on his wanderings around the world.

The distressing fate of the Czech great Jan Amos Komenský, forced to leave his homeland after the White Mountain disaster. It depicts his encounters with various European personalities of the 17th century - the Queen of Sweden, artists and scientists. It emphasises the hero's nobility, but also his inner resilience, which allowed him to overcome many personal and professional tragedies. The parable of The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart becomes part of the story. However, Comenius's concept is sculpturally lifeless and, in particular, the religious dimension is "erased" from it. The simplistic biography therefore does not avoid schoolboyish dryness.

The distressing fate of the Czech great Jan Amos Komenský, forced to leave his homeland after the White Mountain disaster. It depicts his encounters with various European personalities of the 17th century - the Queen of Sweden, artists and scientists. It emphasises the hero's nobility, but also his inner resilience, which allowed him to overcome many personal and professional tragedies. The parable of The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart becomes part of the story. However, Comenius's concept is sculpturally lifeless and, in particular, the religious dimension is "erased" from it. The simplistic biography therefore does not avoid schoolboyish dryness.

The distressing fate of the Czech great Jan Amos Komenský, forced to leave his homeland after the White Mountain disaster. It depicts his encounters with various European personalities of the 17th century - the Queen of Sweden, artists and scientists. It emphasises the hero's nobility, but also his inner resilience, which allowed him to overcome many personal and professional tragedies. The parable of The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart becomes part of the story. However, Comenius's concept is sculpturally lifeless and, in particular, the religious dimension is "erased" from it. The simplistic biography therefore does not avoid schoolboyish dryness.

A biographical film about a Czech mechanic and designer who was the first in the Czech lands to construct a steam car.

Baker Jan Racek (Vladimír Repa) is a very hard-working and sensible man. His great passion is pigeon-keeping and also, for many years, Ruzenka (Ludmila Vostrcilová). They are going to get married but Racek is busy waiting for the pigeons' return and misses the wedding. The engaged couple is already getting a little older so the otherwise kind Ruzenka gets very angry at this and gives Racek an ultimatum - it's going to be her or the pigeons.

A lyrical story about first love, death and disappointment, based on a poem of the same title.

The years 1851-1856: events from the life of the writer Božena Němcová, who, because of her free-thinking views and strong patriotic feelings, comes into conflict with the society, the church and the Austrian authorities... A cold, too readable version of the writer's biography. The playwright František Pavlíček dealt with the theme of "Němcová" also later - in the times of his dissidence.

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

In the 1600s, an overzealous clergy hauls innocent women in front of tribunals, forces them to confess to imaginary witchery, and engages in brutal torture and persecution of their subjects.

The first part of the "Hussite Revolutionary Trilogy", completed with Jan Žižka (1955) and Proti všem (Against All Odds, 1957). The film captures the period from May 1412 to the summer of 1415, a turbulent time in the Czech Kingdom, during which there were protests in Prague against the sale of "omnipotent indulgences" whose sale throughout the kingdom was announced by Pope John XXIII. The ideological leader of this movement is the preacher Master Jan Hus, whose words, calling for the elimination of church abuses, are listened to in the Bethlehem Chapel by thousands of ordinary Praguers, Czech lords and Queen Sophie, wife of the Czech King Wenceslas IV.

The first part of the "Hussite Revolutionary Trilogy", completed with Jan Žižka (1955) and Proti všem (Against All Odds, 1957). The film captures the period from May 1412 to the summer of 1415, a turbulent time in the Czech Kingdom, during which there were protests in Prague against the sale of "omnipotent indulgences" whose sale throughout the kingdom was announced by Pope John XXIII. The ideological leader of this movement is the preacher Master Jan Hus, whose words, calling for the elimination of church abuses, are listened to in the Bethlehem Chapel by thousands of ordinary Praguers, Czech lords and Queen Sophie, wife of the Czech King Wenceslas IV.

In early 20th century Czechoslovakia, a gravely ill chemist recalls his discovery of a powerful explosive and how it landed in the hands of anarchists.

A man returns to his native village in search of renewed faith and his old girlfriend. But she, now a middleaged woman, does not recognise him and he goes home, more disillusioned than ever.

The second part of the revolutionary Hussite trilogy takes place in the years 1419-1420.

The second part of the revolutionary Hussite trilogy takes place in the years 1419-1420.

The second part of the revolutionary Hussite trilogy takes place in the years 1419-1420.

Twelve-year old Kosta, a little boy of an overactive imagination, makes friends with equally sensitive eleven-year old Blanka. Fantasy leads the two children to the forgotten attic in the house of Blanka's parents. For them, this is the forbidden "thirteenth chamber," and to Kosta, an old glass vase becomes a magic ball with the help of which he can play his favorite play "on fate". The children observe the adults and unconsciously sense that something has gone wrong in Blanka's family. Her dad is a physician and her mother is not happy with him, still recollecting her former wooer Petr who left for India upon his graduation.

Twelve-year old Kosta, a little boy of an overactive imagination, makes friends with equally sensitive eleven-year old Blanka. Fantasy leads the two children to the forgotten attic in the house of Blanka's parents. For them, this is the forbidden "thirteenth chamber," and to Kosta, an old glass vase becomes a magic ball with the help of which he can play his favorite play "on fate". The children observe the adults and unconsciously sense that something has gone wrong in Blanka's family. Her dad is a physician and her mother is not happy with him, still recollecting her former wooer Petr who left for India upon his graduation.

A lyrical story about first love, death and disappointment, based on a poem of the same title.

The first part of the "Hussite Revolutionary Trilogy", completed with Jan Žižka (1955) and Proti všem (Against All Odds, 1957). The film captures the period from May 1412 to the summer of 1415, a turbulent time in the Czech Kingdom, during which there were protests in Prague against the sale of "omnipotent indulgences" whose sale throughout the kingdom was announced by Pope John XXIII. The ideological leader of this movement is the preacher Master Jan Hus, whose words, calling for the elimination of church abuses, are listened to in the Bethlehem Chapel by thousands of ordinary Praguers, Czech lords and Queen Sophie, wife of the Czech King Wenceslas IV.

The second part of the revolutionary Hussite trilogy takes place in the years 1419-1420.

After the battle of Sudoměř the Hussite teaching spreads through the whole country and people start leaving their homes to help build the fortification of Tábor. Prague citizens request help against the army of Zikmund. The Hussite army with Jan Žižka in the lead make their way towards Prague. They fortify themselves on the mountain Vítkov and engage in a bloody battle with Zikmund’s huge army.

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.

After the battle of Sudoměř the Hussite teaching spreads through the whole country and people start leaving their homes to help build the fortification of Tábor. Prague citizens request help against the army of Zikmund. The Hussite army with Jan Žižka in the lead make their way towards Prague. They fortify themselves on the mountain Vítkov and engage in a bloody battle with Zikmund’s huge army.

The plot begins in the Soviet Union showing first efforts to establish the Czechoslovak legion in 1942. The film also shows the assassination of Heydrich and the subsequent annihilation of Lidice. The main topis of the film is battles with German troops for Sokolovo.

A village drama about the tragic culmination of a forced marriage. The film was financed by a Brno company, which required interventions in the generally known original. The reason for moving the location of the action and rewriting the dialogues into the appropriate dialect was the idea of ​​making the spectacular Vlčnov costumes more spectacular. Their distinctive color led the producers to the idea of ​​filming several crowd costumed scenes (the wedding) on ​​color material. However, the parts of the color copy processed abroad were not used in regular distribution. Another requirement was to emphasize the positive influence of the Catholic Church and have a more conciliatory conclusion.

A fiction piece centered around the Czech resistance to the Nazis.

A 13-minute documentary film depicting life in Prague.

A man and a woman meet on the streetcar. Six years ago, they were close . . .

The doomed love of a city girl caught in the vise of poverty is detailed in Vavra’s fluid, romantic work, one of the most elegant creations of the Czech Modernist era... The film lingers over its characters’ habitats and haunts, finding psychological truths in what each owns or desires, and countering every Hollywood-ready scene of gleaming restaurants and dazzling penthouses with realist moments of employment lines and crammed flats. Vavra’s classical camerawork and aura of romantic defeatism give Virginity a force comparable to the master of this genre, Hollywood’s Frank Borzage. (BAM/PFA)

František Brych, a principled lawyer, refuses to back the new Communist regime at his factory and grows increasingly alienated, even as his former love Irena, unhappily married to factory owner Ondřej Ráž, seeks his understanding. When he helps plan an escape over the Šumava border, the group’s panic and violence lead to murder, prompting Brych to abandon the scheme and return home with Irena.

A man returns to his native village in search of renewed faith and his old girlfriend. But she, now a middleaged woman, does not recognise him and he goes home, more disillusioned than ever.

A remake of Vávra's 1948 atomic age thriller Krakatit. Engineer Prokop creates the devastating explosive “Krakatit” and soon confronts manipulative agents and imperialist conspiracies. Realizing his invention’s threat, he fights to prevent its misuse, risking everything to stop those who seek to exploit his epochal discovery.

A student rebellion precedes revolutionary events in Prague.

Prague, the beginning of the 17th century. Rozina falls in love with Italian glass worker Nikolo, but after returning home, she gets a message that will never come to Prague. She falls for the promise of an older man to marry her, but when Nikolo does return, the tragic fate of Rozina is sealed.

A story of love and honor that takes place during the mid-nineteenth century during revolutions, as well as economic, political, and social hypocrisy. Two extraordinary but lonely artists share a passionate love, as evidenced by the preserved letters that they exchanged.

Ríša, a student of law, neglects his studies in favour of parties and pranks. His angry father refuses to continue helping him out of his debts. Ríša, however, is not entirely beyond hope. He decides to go and stay for a while with his uncle, a priest, who lives in Moravia, in order to prepare for his exams. He meets Helenka, the timid daughter of the local gamekeeper, at a village ball and is enchanted by her. The days pass and their idyllic relationship begins to tire Ríša. He begins to tell Helenka about his former debauched life the about the broken hearts of beautiful women. Helenka is hurt and refuses to see Ríša anymore. His uncle, the priest, is incensed at his behaviour and orders his nephew out of the house. Ríša tries desperately to find Helenka so he can make it up to her.

Zdenek Pešánek created the first public kinetic sculpture, for the power station in Prague. This short experimental film focuses on a kinetic sculpture by Zdenek Pešánek. For a period of eight years it issued beams of light from the outside wall of a transformer station at Prague’s power utility before its destruction in 1939. Though genuine, these shots seem abstract to us. They are a rhythmically assembled ode to the light-creating devices and phenomena of electricity. Light arcs, coils, bulbs and various luminous elements support the alternation of positive and negative film images, creating an impressive universe of light and shade. In the 1920s, Pešánek had obtained financial support for his work with electric kinetic light art. In the 1930s, he was the first sculptor to use neon lights. He built several kinetic light pianos, and published a book titled “Kinetismus” in 1941. —http://www.centerforvisualmusic.org

A morally questionable lord comes to the aid of a working class man who is to be executed for speaking out about thieving rich scoundrels sticking it to the poor.

At the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries Boleslav's kingdom fell apart in the fratricidal war between the Přemyslovci and the other clans the main profiteer of this being the German emperor. At that time it seemed as if the Czech state and the lineage of its princes was awaiting its end..." It is with these words that the tale of this film begins, whose narrative is based upon the the play by František Hrubín of the same name.

When a man stops at a motel one evening in 1961, his tormenting behavior drives one of the people present at the motel to remember his experiences in a concentration camp during WWII.

This lyrical comedy story takes place in two hot days in the small South Bohemian village. On the shore of a small pond, summer guests and local youth meet. As is typical of the works of Hrubín, it is a conflict of youth and age, life and death, represented by the medical student Zuzana and her beloved Jirka.

This lyrical comedy story takes place in two hot days in the small South Bohemian village. On the shore of a small pond, summer guests and local youth meet. As is typical of the works of Hrubín, it is a conflict of youth and age, life and death, represented by the medical student Zuzana and her beloved Jirka.

When Vilem appears in the road with an unconscious young woman, it disturbs the peaceful life of three generations of the Balvínova family.

Slightly ironic comedy of wretches, who come to understand the rich and are able to accept charity, and also about how love and work prevail over the factory owner's son.

This feature film based on the events of 1938 is a chronicle of the futile efforts of the Czechoslovak president Edvard Benes (Jirí Pleskot), politicians and ordinary citizens, to save the independence and the territorial integrity of the state from the advance of Hitler's Germany. On the 29th of March 1938 the leader of the Sudeten Germans Henlein (Werner Ehrlicher) has a meeting with Hitler (Gunnar Möller). Hitler orders him to intensify pressure on the Czechoslovak government. On the 24th of April in Carlsbad, the Sudetendeutsche Partei (Sudeten German Party) decides upon eight demands that are unacceptable to the Czechoslovak President, since they would ultimately lead to the break-up of the Republic. Benes still shows a certain willingness to negotiate, and Henlein resents this. The Germans are determined to make further negotiations impossible through incidents and violence.

On 20th of April 1945 the Soviet army launches its attack on Berlin. The end has come for Nazi Germany and Hitler decides to commit suicide. In Prague K.H. Frank (Nazi Secretary of State and Chief of police in the Protectorate of Bohemia a Moravia) discusses with his commanders how to transform the city into an impregnable fortress, but the Praguers do not intend to wait any longer. From the early hours of 4th of May people start assembling in the streets and tearing down German signs. On the next day, the 5th of May, the uprising begins.

Dvořák's well-known composition reappears again and again in the serious moments of the lives of the father and son Hupeks - talented non-professional musicians for whom music gives them the opportunity to rise above difficulties and problems...

This feature film based on the events of 1938 is a chronicle of the futile efforts of the Czechoslovak president Edvard Benes (Jirí Pleskot), politicians and ordinary citizens, to save the independence and the territorial integrity of the state from the advance of Hitler's Germany. On the 29th of March 1938 the leader of the Sudeten Germans Henlein (Werner Ehrlicher) has a meeting with Hitler (Gunnar Möller). Hitler orders him to intensify pressure on the Czechoslovak government. On the 24th of April in Carlsbad, the Sudetendeutsche Partei (Sudeten German Party) decides upon eight demands that are unacceptable to the Czechoslovak President, since they would ultimately lead to the break-up of the Republic. Benes still shows a certain willingness to negotiate, and Henlein resents this. The Germans are determined to make further negotiations impossible through incidents and violence.

This feature film based on the events of 1938 is a chronicle of the futile efforts of the Czechoslovak president Edvard Benes (Jirí Pleskot), politicians and ordinary citizens, to save the independence and the territorial integrity of the state from the advance of Hitler's Germany. On the 29th of March 1938 the leader of the Sudeten Germans Henlein (Werner Ehrlicher) has a meeting with Hitler (Gunnar Möller). Hitler orders him to intensify pressure on the Czechoslovak government. On the 24th of April in Carlsbad, the Sudetendeutsche Partei (Sudeten German Party) decides upon eight demands that are unacceptable to the Czechoslovak President, since they would ultimately lead to the break-up of the Republic. Benes still shows a certain willingness to negotiate, and Henlein resents this. The Germans are determined to make further negotiations impossible through incidents and violence.

A painting of a girl from another time comes to life for it's buyer in this costume comedy.

The plot begins in the Soviet Union showing first efforts to establish the Czechoslovak legion in 1942. The film also shows the assassination of Heydrich and the subsequent annihilation of Lidice. The main topis of the film is battles with German troops for Sokolovo.

The plot begins in the Soviet Union showing first efforts to establish the Czechoslovak legion in 1942. The film also shows the assassination of Heydrich and the subsequent annihilation of Lidice. The main topis of the film is battles with German troops for Sokolovo.

Otakar Vávra dedicated his latest film to events accompanying the devastation of the first World War. It takes place in representative centers of power, in the courts of Vienna, Berlin and Moscow. In parallel, it develops the fate of the Czech archivist, who will take part in the Serbian anti-Austrian branch.

Otakar Vávra walks through Prague in front of the camera and with the camera, and remembers those who in the 1930s determined the pulse of the cultural and political life of that time.

Otakar Vávra walks through Prague in front of the camera and with the camera, and remembers those who in the 1930s determined the pulse of the cultural and political life of that time.

Otakar Vávra walks through Prague in front of the camera and with the camera, and remembers those who in the 1930s determined the pulse of the cultural and political life of that time.

A film medallion of actor Zdenek Stepanek.

A film medallion of actor Zdenek Stepanek.

The story of a poor, disintegrating family of a mother Fišerová and her three children. It is set in the 1890s - a time when the poor working classes did not yet have the right to vote or a permanent eight-hour working day.

The story of a poor, disintegrating family of a mother Fišerová and her three children. It is set in the 1890s - a time when the poor working classes did not yet have the right to vote or a permanent eight-hour working day.

The stuffed animal dealer Václav Barvínek spent twenty-four hours in prison for a petty dispute. And that very day, his uncle's will was read, stating that the deceased had hidden a check for a million crowns somewhere. If it was not cashed by the appointed time, the entire amount would go to charity. The other relatives looted all the movable property, and only an abandoned Saint Bernard remained in the uncle's villa, which the kind-hearted Mr. Barvínek took in. The cheated heir continues to lead a simple life and has no idea that wealth is within reach. He has quite different worries - the heart of the elderly fat man has burned with love for a girl whose friendliness he misinterpreted...

On 20th of April 1945 the Soviet army launches its attack on Berlin. The end has come for Nazi Germany and Hitler decides to commit suicide. In Prague K.H. Frank (Nazi Secretary of State and Chief of police in the Protectorate of Bohemia a Moravia) discusses with his commanders how to transform the city into an impregnable fortress, but the Praguers do not intend to wait any longer. From the early hours of 4th of May people start assembling in the streets and tearing down German signs. On the next day, the 5th of May, the uprising begins.

On 20th of April 1945 the Soviet army launches its attack on Berlin. The end has come for Nazi Germany and Hitler decides to commit suicide. In Prague K.H. Frank (Nazi Secretary of State and Chief of police in the Protectorate of Bohemia a Moravia) discusses with his commanders how to transform the city into an impregnable fortress, but the Praguers do not intend to wait any longer. From the early hours of 4th of May people start assembling in the streets and tearing down German signs. On the next day, the 5th of May, the uprising begins.

A story of love and honor that takes place during the mid-nineteenth century during revolutions, as well as economic, political, and social hypocrisy. Two extraordinary but lonely artists share a passionate love, as evidenced by the preserved letters that they exchanged.

Filmed during the Nazi occupation, this panoramic drama set in a Prague department store follows the divergent destinies of four female coworkers, each of whom seeks happiness in a different way.

In early 20th century Czechoslovakia, a gravely ill chemist recalls his discovery of a powerful explosive and how it landed in the hands of anarchists.

In the 1600s, an overzealous clergy hauls innocent women in front of tribunals, forces them to confess to imaginary witchery, and engages in brutal torture and persecution of their subjects.

A remake of Vávra's 1948 atomic age thriller Krakatit. Engineer Prokop creates the devastating explosive “Krakatit” and soon confronts manipulative agents and imperialist conspiracies. Realizing his invention’s threat, he fights to prevent its misuse, risking everything to stop those who seek to exploit his epochal discovery.

At the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries Boleslav's kingdom fell apart in the fratricidal war between the Přemyslovci and the other clans the main profiteer of this being the German emperor. At that time it seemed as if the Czech state and the lineage of its princes was awaiting its end..." It is with these words that the tale of this film begins, whose narrative is based upon the the play by František Hrubín of the same name.

Emperor Francis Joseph I is about to arrive in Prague, and among those who came to Stromovka to welcome him is Veronika Pavlitová. She wants to submit a request for clemency for her imprisoned father to the emperor, because she is barely able to support herself and her siblings on the meager salary of a seamstress. By chance, the girl meets Božena Němcová, whom she admires immensely. She becomes her friend and confidant for a while. However, police director Paümann, who has been following Božena Němcová for a long time, takes advantage of the naivety of the young girl. Veronika, in her simple-mindedness, tells him many things. Only later will she understand how she was abused.

During the New Year's Eve celebration of the arrival of the twentieth century, three friends meet in a nightclub. Notary Jiří Voborský, clerk Emanuel Střela and Lieutenant Miloslav Jičínský.

Orphan Petr lives with his dog Puntja with his aunt. His uncle Gustav wants to get rid of Peter and puts him in an orphanage. Peter escapes from there and looks for his Punt. He finds him with the cool Tobias, but he doesn't want to give him back to Peter. Only when he sees how much the boy and the dog love each other does he let them both stay with him...

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...

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...

Emperor Francis Joseph I is about to arrive in Prague, and among those who came to Stromovka to welcome him is Veronika Pavlitová. She wants to submit a request for clemency for her imprisoned father to the emperor, because she is barely able to support herself and her siblings on the meager salary of a seamstress. By chance, the girl meets Božena Němcová, whom she admires immensely. She becomes her friend and confidant for a while. However, police director Paümann, who has been following Božena Němcová for a long time, takes advantage of the naivety of the young girl. Veronika, in her simple-mindedness, tells him many things. Only later will she understand how she was abused.

Eighteen-year-old factory worker's daughter Věra Janáková is head over heels in love with the famous pilot Jiří Málek. She only knows him from a photograph, but that's enough for her to run away from the boarding house and set out to find him. There, she discovers that the old Málek family are expecting the arrival of a girl from the orphanage, from whom they intend to raise Jiří's future wife. Enterprising Věra doesn't hesitate and quickly disguises herself as a thirteen-year-old frog...

A young village shopkeeper, Ferda Zuska, wants to jump in front of a train because his girlfriend has married someone else. At the last moment, he is saved by the railway guard Douša and his wife Anna. Ferda soon forgets his sadness and starts courting Anna. The unsuspecting Douša is the laughing stock of the whole village. Moreover, during Ferda's rescue, he slipped on the embankment, injured himself, and has had difficulty hearing since then. One day, he even discovers with horror that he has gone completely deaf and that he must therefore leave his job...

Village drama. The widowed daughter-in-law of the old woman Buryjovka, called Kostelnička, is very proud of her pretty and well-bred ward Jenůfa. The girl is liked by both of the old woman's grandsons - her own Stevo and her step-grandson and a bit of aloof Laco...

Ríša, a student of law, neglects his studies in favour of parties and pranks. His angry father refuses to continue helping him out of his debts. Ríša, however, is not entirely beyond hope. He decides to go and stay for a while with his uncle, a priest, who lives in Moravia, in order to prepare for his exams. He meets Helenka, the timid daughter of the local gamekeeper, at a village ball and is enchanted by her. The days pass and their idyllic relationship begins to tire Ríša. He begins to tell Helenka about his former debauched life the about the broken hearts of beautiful women. Helenka is hurt and refuses to see Ríša anymore. His uncle, the priest, is incensed at his behaviour and orders his nephew out of the house. Ríša tries desperately to find Helenka so he can make it up to her.

The stuffed animal dealer Václav Barvínek spent twenty-four hours in prison for a petty dispute. And that very day, his uncle's will was read, stating that the deceased had hidden a check for a million crowns somewhere. If it was not cashed by the appointed time, the entire amount would go to charity. The other relatives looted all the movable property, and only an abandoned Saint Bernard remained in the uncle's villa, which the kind-hearted Mr. Barvínek took in. The cheated heir continues to lead a simple life and has no idea that wealth is within reach. He has quite different worries - the heart of the elderly fat man has burned with love for a girl whose friendliness he misinterpreted...

Dvořák's well-known composition reappears again and again in the serious moments of the lives of the father and son Hupeks - talented non-professional musicians for whom music gives them the opportunity to rise above difficulties and problems...

In the garden of Hojtaš's estate, local dignitaries gather to watch a theatrical performance starring the author of the play, Dr. Pavel Chvojka, the landowner's granddaughter Olga, and Lenka, her ward. Lenka is intoxicated by the theater and Pavel, but he prefers the more experienced Olga. Lenka runs away to Prague to become a real actress. However, the beginnings are difficult and the girl is forced to work in a fashion salon. Here she meets the warm-hearted Milada, with whom she also shares a sublet. In the salon, Lenka meets Pavel again after some time...

In the garden of Hojtaš's estate, local dignitaries gather to watch a theatrical performance starring the author of the play, Dr. Pavel Chvojka, the landowner's granddaughter Olga, and Lenka, her ward. Lenka is intoxicated by the theater and Pavel, but he prefers the more experienced Olga. Lenka runs away to Prague to become a real actress. However, the beginnings are difficult and the girl is forced to work in a fashion salon. Here she meets the warm-hearted Milada, with whom she also shares a sublet. In the salon, Lenka meets Pavel again after some time...

The story of a janitor's daughter who married into a "better man". Obedient to her mother and eager to "rise up" herself, Nanynka did everything she could to avoid being left with a bucket and rags and to be able to move a few floors higher. But marrying off a poor daughter is not exactly easy...

The imperial councilor Ullik decides to modernize his old mills by installing a new turbine. His eccentric brother-in-law Artuš tries to prevent this, as the construction work disrupts the statics of the tower in which he lives. Ullik's older daughter Tynda is a talented singer. The bewitched girl secretly accepts the courtship of the virile Václav, the son of the night watchman. Her younger sister, the doctor Marie, wins the heart and hand of the astronomer Zouplna, despite her father's prohibition...

The imperial councilor Ullik decides to modernize his old mills by installing a new turbine. His eccentric brother-in-law Artuš tries to prevent this, as the construction work disrupts the statics of the tower in which he lives. Ullik's older daughter Tynda is a talented singer. The bewitched girl secretly accepts the courtship of the virile Václav, the son of the night watchman. Her younger sister, the doctor Marie, wins the heart and hand of the astronomer Zouplna, despite her father's prohibition...

A daughter of a celebrity family experiences a holiday adventure with a mysterious young man. Though she is strongly attracted to him, she is also concerned about his sinister, panicky speech, his fierce charisma.

A daughter of a celebrity family experiences a holiday adventure with a mysterious young man. Though she is strongly attracted to him, she is also concerned about his sinister, panicky speech, his fierce charisma.

A romantic story of a noble lady who wanted to live without the bonds of marriage, but her desire for a child led her - carefully disguised - into the arms of a young nobleman. Only years later did she believe in his love and make herself known.

A romantic story of a noble lady who wanted to live without the bonds of marriage, but her desire for a child led her - carefully disguised - into the arms of a young nobleman. Only years later did she believe in his love and make herself known.

A man and a woman meet on the streetcar. Six years ago, they were close . . .

A man and a woman meet on the streetcar. Six years ago, they were close . . .

A poor dog catcher in Prague takes up an orphan's boy who finds his favorite bull with him, with himself, until both find a better home, finally, with a rich family. - In antiquated style with put on warmth told comedy.

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.

"The Rally" is based on a communist writer Vaclav Řezáč's well-written novel of the same name

The Czech revival movement is divided at the end of the first half of the 19th century. While the older generation, such as František Palacký, urges restraint, students lean towards radical positions. A report on the revolutionary events in Paris prompts Czech Prague residents to write down the demands of the Czech nation for self-determination and the proclamation of a constitution. Tensions peak during the All-Slavic Congress in Prague's Žofín. Vienna rejects the Czech demands and the congress is brutally dispersed by the Austrian police. Prague begins to build barricades...

"The Rally" is based on a communist writer Vaclav Řezáč's well-written novel of the same name

Orphan Petr lives with his dog Puntja with his aunt. His uncle Gustav wants to get rid of Peter and puts him in an orphanage. Peter escapes from there and looks for his Punt. He finds him with the cool Tobias, but he doesn't want to give him back to Peter. Only when he sees how much the boy and the dog love each other does he let them both stay with him...

Young doctor Hájek has been looking for a job for a long time in vain. But luck has smiled on him a little - he has won a competition for the best advertising slogan, which was held by the factory owner Bárta. The prize is a stay in a luxurious mountain hotel. At the same time, Bárta is also leaving for the same winter resort, but on a whim he decides to use a false name and pretend to be a poor man. It is therefore not surprising that the hotel staff gets confused when accommodating the two guests. The poor young man receives all sorts of honors and favors, the factory owner huddles in a small room without heating. In addition, Bárta's cute daughter appears on the scene, and all sorts of complications are not long in coming.

After the battle of Sudoměř the Hussite teaching spreads through the whole country and people start leaving their homes to help build the fortification of Tábor. Prague citizens request help against the army of Zikmund. The Hussite army with Jan Žižka in the lead make their way towards Prague. They fortify themselves on the mountain Vítkov and engage in a bloody battle with Zikmund’s huge army.

A morally questionable lord comes to the aid of a working class man who is to be executed for speaking out about thieving rich scoundrels sticking it to the poor.

The Czech revival movement is divided at the end of the first half of the 19th century. While the older generation, such as František Palacký, urges restraint, students lean towards radical positions. A report on the revolutionary events in Paris prompts Czech Prague residents to write down the demands of the Czech nation for self-determination and the proclamation of a constitution. Tensions peak during the All-Slavic Congress in Prague's Žofín. Vienna rejects the Czech demands and the congress is brutally dispersed by the Austrian police. Prague begins to build barricades...

František Brych, a principled lawyer, refuses to back the new Communist regime at his factory and grows increasingly alienated, even as his former love Irena, unhappily married to factory owner Ondřej Ráž, seeks his understanding. When he helps plan an escape over the Šumava border, the group’s panic and violence lead to murder, prompting Brych to abandon the scheme and return home with Irena.

Zdenek Pešánek created the first public kinetic sculpture, for the power station in Prague. This short experimental film focuses on a kinetic sculpture by Zdenek Pešánek. For a period of eight years it issued beams of light from the outside wall of a transformer station at Prague’s power utility before its destruction in 1939. Though genuine, these shots seem abstract to us. They are a rhythmically assembled ode to the light-creating devices and phenomena of electricity. Light arcs, coils, bulbs and various luminous elements support the alternation of positive and negative film images, creating an impressive universe of light and shade. In the 1920s, Pešánek had obtained financial support for his work with electric kinetic light art. In the 1930s, he was the first sculptor to use neon lights. He built several kinetic light pianos, and published a book titled “Kinetismus” in 1941. —http://www.centerforvisualmusic.org

Zdenek Pešánek created the first public kinetic sculpture, for the power station in Prague. This short experimental film focuses on a kinetic sculpture by Zdenek Pešánek. For a period of eight years it issued beams of light from the outside wall of a transformer station at Prague’s power utility before its destruction in 1939. Though genuine, these shots seem abstract to us. They are a rhythmically assembled ode to the light-creating devices and phenomena of electricity. Light arcs, coils, bulbs and various luminous elements support the alternation of positive and negative film images, creating an impressive universe of light and shade. In the 1920s, Pešánek had obtained financial support for his work with electric kinetic light art. In the 1930s, he was the first sculptor to use neon lights. He built several kinetic light pianos, and published a book titled “Kinetismus” in 1941. —http://www.centerforvisualmusic.org

The family of the worker Kučera lives happily. His daughter Anežka, engaged to technical draftsman Adolf, is a seamstress. His son Váš is studying to be a machinist. The family also includes his grandfather, a former miner. However, an economic crisis is beginning. Factories stop production. Adolf loses his job and has an argument with Anežka, who has no idea the cause of his nervousness.

A 13-minute documentary film depicting life in Prague.

A 13-minute documentary film depicting life in Prague.

A 13-minute documentary film depicting life in Prague.

Slightly ironic comedy of wretches, who come to understand the rich and are able to accept charity, and also about how love and work prevail over the factory owner's son.

A student rebellion precedes revolutionary events in Prague.

Professor Karas is widely known as enthusiastic propagator of the motto "Morality Above All Else". He guides his students as well as his own family to live a morally decent life. One day he has an unexpected visit. It's his illegitimate daughter Vera, who is proof of his thoughtless youth. Mr. Karas know that she can ruin his image, thus he decides to keep her a secret and asks her to leave. Instead of leaving she takes a position of a governess in his own family without letting him know. Mr. Karas realizes that he must reveal the truth sooner or later, but he doesn't have enough courage to do so. As he postpones it, he is more and more scared to come to his own home.

The doomed love of a city girl caught in the vise of poverty is detailed in Vavra’s fluid, romantic work, one of the most elegant creations of the Czech Modernist era... The film lingers over its characters’ habitats and haunts, finding psychological truths in what each owns or desires, and countering every Hollywood-ready scene of gleaming restaurants and dazzling penthouses with realist moments of employment lines and crammed flats. Vavra’s classical camerawork and aura of romantic defeatism give Virginity a force comparable to the master of this genre, Hollywood’s Frank Borzage. (BAM/PFA)

The unfortunate 1930s also befell the student Standa Půlpán. For existential reasons, he had to abandon his studies and entered the mines. However, he only slowly and with difficulty became close to the older miners, rough men who were closed in on themselves. Only his brave stand in rescuing people who were trapped in a mining accident will win him the solidarity of the entire mining collective. Even Karel Čapek's draft once lent itself to promoting an exacerbated class interpretation of social relations.

The unfortunate 1930s also befell the student Standa Půlpán. For existential reasons, he had to abandon his studies and entered the mines. However, he only slowly and with difficulty became close to the older miners, rough men who were closed in on themselves. Only his brave stand in rescuing people who were trapped in a mining accident will win him the solidarity of the entire mining collective. Even Karel Čapek's draft once lent itself to promoting an exacerbated class interpretation of social relations.

A painting of a girl from another time comes to life for it's buyer in this costume comedy.

When Vilem appears in the road with an unconscious young woman, it disturbs the peaceful life of three generations of the Balvínova family.

The years 1851-1856: events from the life of the writer Božena Němcová, who, because of her free-thinking views and strong patriotic feelings, comes into conflict with the society, the church and the Austrian authorities... A cold, too readable version of the writer's biography. The playwright František Pavlíček dealt with the theme of "Němcová" also later - in the times of his dissidence.

The years 1851-1856: events from the life of the writer Božena Němcová, who, because of her free-thinking views and strong patriotic feelings, comes into conflict with the society, the church and the Austrian authorities... A cold, too readable version of the writer's biography. The playwright František Pavlíček dealt with the theme of "Němcová" also later - in the times of his dissidence.

Prague, the beginning of the 17th century. Rozina falls in love with Italian glass worker Nikolo, but after returning home, she gets a message that will never come to Prague. She falls for the promise of an older man to marry her, but when Nikolo does return, the tragic fate of Rozina is sealed.

Filmed during the Nazi occupation, this panoramic drama set in a Prague department store follows the divergent destinies of four female coworkers, each of whom seeks happiness in a different way.

In an unsightly tenement house, the walls of which are as peeling as the souls of the tenants, an old woman waits for her son to return from prison. However, her neighbors believe that she is hiding a large fortune in her tattered suitcase, which she protects like the apple of her eye, and they want to get hold of it at any cost.

Building a bridge is no simple matter. The city council has to decide between two competing proposals, one of which is submitted by villainous scoundrels and scoundrels who would like to enrich themselves everywhere. Although the film was made before the communist coup, it already anticipates the political diction of the stories that the approaching Stalinist period will produce.

Zdenek Pešánek created the first public kinetic sculpture, for the power station in Prague. This short experimental film focuses on a kinetic sculpture by Zdenek Pešánek. For a period of eight years it issued beams of light from the outside wall of a transformer station at Prague’s power utility before its destruction in 1939. Though genuine, these shots seem abstract to us. They are a rhythmically assembled ode to the light-creating devices and phenomena of electricity. Light arcs, coils, bulbs and various luminous elements support the alternation of positive and negative film images, creating an impressive universe of light and shade. In the 1920s, Pešánek had obtained financial support for his work with electric kinetic light art. In the 1930s, he was the first sculptor to use neon lights. He built several kinetic light pianos, and published a book titled “Kinetismus” in 1941. —http://www.centerforvisualmusic.org