Directed by Věra Chytilová • 1963 • Czechoslovakia
The debut feature from Věra Chytilová interweaves two stories simultaneously: one a narrative about a frustrated mother (Vera Uzelacová) discontented with the drudgery of housework, the other a quasi documentary about a gymnast (real-life Olympic gold medalist Eva Bosáková) training for a final competition before she retires. Taken together, they form a piercing portrait of women’s experiences in 1960s Czechoslovakia and a daring first expression of the feminist themes Chytilová would explore in subsequent works like DAISIES.
Up Next in Czechoslovak New Wave
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Courage for Every Day
Directed by Evald Schorm • 1964 • Czechoslovakia
Director Evald Schorm reflects on the changing political tides of his generation in this clear-eyed study of idealism and disillusionment. Jarda (Jan Kačer) is a passionate Communist worker fervently dedicated to the principles of his party. But a...
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Diamonds of the Night
Directed by Jan Němec • 1964 • Czechoslovakia
Starring Ladislav Janský, Antonín KumberaWith this simultaneously harrowing and lyrical debut feature, Jan Němec established himself as the most uncompromising visionary among the radical filmmakers who made up the Czechoslovak New Wave. Adapted fro...
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Black Peter
Directed by Miloš Forman • 1964 • Czechoslovakia
Starring Ladislav Jakim, Pavla Martínková, Jan VostrčilOne of the first films to herald the arrival of the Czechoslovak New Wave, Miloš Forman’s stylistically inventive debut narrative feature follows the bumbling teenager of the title (Ladislav ...
