David Čálek

The four stories in the film form a mosaic of the fates of several married or partner couples who, at a certain turning point in their lives, are dealing with issues of wanted, unwanted, desired, or thwarted parenthood. The intention of screenwriter and director Alice Nellis is to use the parallel narration of several stories to show that the problem of modern parenthood is broader and deeper than the specific situation of any individual character. The number one domestic director once again comes up with a story that can touch viewers regardless of age or status. Each of the stories told about the desire for a child, the fateful decision of whether to have a child or not, or the effort to cope with the pitfalls that life has placed before us, could be your own.

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.

Happiness is often found unexpectedly, so what? A lesbian couple raise their two children in perfect harmony when a man from the past intervenes. Violent psychopath demands the custody of his daughter, while his ex-wife suffers his terror. Two teenagers simply run away and a devout man does not have the strength to protect his love.

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?

A film about various forms of drugs – American cinema, rock music, and heroin. Together with the protagonist, we experience the bohemian life of young filmmakers, shocking erotic experiences, and the first drastic attempts with drugs. From the initial cool experiment with drugs, we then go through hell and purgatory. A good friend can help with the return, but so can the will to start over, to forgive those who (perhaps) wronged him, to realize that I am mainly to blame for everything...

The budget for the program to colonize Mars was so drastically cut back that settlements never appeared on the faraway planet. Now the only reminder of the ambitious plan is an abandoned base inhabited by a very lonely robot. The silence and tranquility of the red planet is eventually disturbed, however, by a privately-funded Czech crew, whose members have taken on the mission for very different reasons...

A look at the legendary Czech sound designer and his profession. Editor and documentary filmmaker Adéla Špaljová has her father Ivo Špalj talk about his life, career, and working methods. Over the course of his long life, sound designer Ivo Špalj (*1940) has collaborated on hundreds of films and become a mentor for at least one generation of men and women behind the mixing board. This gentle documentary also shows “Engi” (as he is known to his colleagues) again working with Jan Švankmajer, whose films he has lent their typical, dense, and sophisticated sound mix.

What was the iconic theater scene and its creators like? The final stage of the Prague Chamber Theater, which provoked, shocked, and fascinated audiences for ten seasons at the Komedie Theater.

This bittersweet film was Roman Vávra's feature debut. The film consists of three independent stories, all connected through the motif of a field of grain. In 'Awn' a young couple takes a summer stroll in the country, in 'The Haystack' a gang of boys have an adventure with an older girl, and 'The Journey' recounts the tragicomic homecoming of a pair of aging newlyweds. For only the second time in the nineties Czech star Iva Janzurová appeared on the silver screen.

The episodic film MARBLES consists of several short stories about how women manipulate with men. About subtle blackmailings, about crying, about tears, about the ability to sacrifice oneself for a dream, about sex as a service, about the way we can use empathy. It all starts on the playground among children and death does not equal the end. As time goes by, a feminine mechanism of manipulation develops, shapes up, ripens until it reaches the stage of perfection. Individual short stories take place at a techno party as well as in a Catholic parsonage and they conclude in a content domestic routine of two old people which cannot be disrupted by anything – not even by death. The short stories about women of different age and lifestyle put together a story of one complete human life which was, thanks to the manipulation with others, lived according to the plan and at the same time and from the same reason wasted away.

This existential drama depicts a godless and stressed family whose members do not live happy lives. A household without joy and pervaded by nervousness, dissatisfaction, and frustration creates an oppressive atmosphere. Everyone hides their desires and dreams within themselves. Unexpectedly, a bigoted grandmother visits this family and begins to "save" them. The mother, father, and teenage daughter are exposed to her criticism on a daily basis, and the grandmother's idea of redemption is forcefully imposed on them. The family undergoes a forced transformation, especially when apparent miracles begin to happen. However, this process increasingly repels the granddaughter, who is experiencing her own adolescent problems, and her clash with her grandmother ends in tragedy.

We had a unique moment. Czech Republic without tourists, mountains without skiers, empty streets, shops, all of this suddenly seemed almost magical. A different view of reality opened up to us. Free from descriptiveness, focused on the essential things that make life worth living. The main heroes of the film are frozen time, David Chmelař, a tugboat driver, Vanda Hybnerová, an actress, Tomáš Halík, a priest and philosopher, Havel Parkán, a café owner, and Radůza, a singer. They all agreed at the beginning that this is a time that is an opportunity to make a difference.

Prague faces the challenge of a new zoning plan. The city's development leads to conflicts between the private developer lobby, city residents, and elected officials. By following several years of town council meetings, the film paints an image of a public policy apparatus that ignores the role of the urban planner. Using a journalistic approach, the filmmaker attempts to depict all points of view, although in the end the dominant perspective is of those who believe in the city as an expression of culture and quality of life.

Four friends in their best years get together to celebrate Martina's birthday in a mysterious apartment, where they meet complete strangers. At the party, they reveal their deepest desires: Dita just wants everyone to be happy, Marta is on the hunt for a man, Marie is trying to get hers back, and Stella says she's "fine". However, as the evening progresses, they all realize that what they desire above all is love and understanding. And it's time to do something about it!

A film about fatal love, bad dreams, normal madness and unnecessary death.

No description available.

No description available.

Tomáš Etzler worked for seven years as a foreign correspondent in China. He came to know a country that was developing at an admirably fast pace, was swayed by its energy, and for a moment believed that modernity could bring about political change as well. Before long, it dawned on him that many people would continue to be severely punished, and the regime would still keep most of the nation in a state of indecision and ignorance. Without neglecting that face of China today, Etzler chose to tell a story of hope in his personal documentary. Using the example of an orphanage for disabled children, he shows that the answer to collectivist brutality and ruthlessness can be mutual assistance, tolerance and empathy.

Chytilová ran for Senate in 2006 as a Rovnost Šancí (The Equal Chance Party) candidate. The film is a collection of monologues by female party members from across the nation.

The film reveals the plight of Somali pirates, mostly former fishermen, who, as a result of the global fishing industry, can no longer make a living from the sea as they once did and have to join up with pirate cartels in order to feed themselves and their families.