20:30
THE FIREMAN\'S BALL (Horí, má panenko) 1968
Directed by Milos Forman
73 minutes
In Czech with English subtitles
Of course everyone knows the later \"American\" films of Milos Forman (One Flew over the Cuckoo\'s Nest, Armadas)...but have you seen the magical, lyrical films he made while still living in Czechoslovakia?
A milestone of the Czech New Wave, Milos Forman\'s first color film The Firemen\'s Ball (Horí, má panenko) works both as a sharp comedy and a provocative political satire. Over the years it has become a cult classic. The story chronicles a drunken firemen\'s party where nothing goes right-from a beauty pageant whose reluctant participants embarrass the organizers to a lottery from which nearly all the prizes are pilfered. The film has a wonderful sense of humor, which is tinged with melancholy....in other words it is quintessentially Czech. Obviously a commentary on the ineptness of the floundering Czech leadership, the film was \"banned forever\" in Czechoslovakia following the Russian invasion and forced Forman\'s exile to America.
What one viewer had to say about it:
\"This is whimsical film-making at its best and a wonderful, if too short, film. Forman has attempted to capture the same sense of silliness, spontaneity, and joy in his American films, but they come up somewhat lacking. Along with Loves of a Blonde, this is likely his crowning achievement and for what posterity should remember him. And of all his films its the film which he himself likes best.\"
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22:00
ROK DABLE (YEAR OF THE DEVIL) 2002
Directed by Petr Zelenka
88 minutes
In Czech with English subtitles
Wow, what to say about this deranged Czech film which doesn\'t fit into any pre-made cinematic box? First off, the film is partly documentary in how its absorbs the real life events of the main characters. But on the other hand the film is wildly surrealistic. In a way it feels like a road trip...the kind of journey where you don\'t know where you are heading next, or what you are going to learn. Zelenka is an totally unique director and made the equally bizarre KNOFIKARI (Buttoners) a few years ago.
Besides the narrative (which is partly about a musician who is trying to de-tox after many years of alcoholism) there is a lot of music here from both the famous Czech folk singer Jaromir Nohavica to the eclectic experiments of Jaz Coleman (from Killing Joke, whose on stage make-up was probably the basis of Heath Ledger\'s Joker character) both of whom, besides creating the music for the film, are two of the principle actors. In 2003 it won 6 Czech Lion awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Editing, and was nominated for 5 more, including Best Sceenplay and Best Cinematography.
The films of Zelenka are criminally never screened outside of the Czech Republic, despite the fact that they have won many international awards... so once again, this is a rare screening!
CINEMA DERIVE
OVERTOOM 301
20:30 Membership 4 Euros for the evening
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