directed by Elo Havetta, comedy, 83 min, eng subtitles
written by Œubomír Dohnal, Elo Havetta
with Jiøí Sýkora, Nina Divíková, Duan Blakoviè
A not-so-well-known treasure of the Czechoslovak New Wave. Maria, the innkeeper in the town of Babindol in the Little Carpathians, has eight daughters by the same father, Pita, who lives in a hermits hut outside the vineyards. Their lives are disturbed by the arrival of Pierre, a wanderer from France, who brings new life to the village. Pierre (a counterpart of Pierrot from the Commedia dellArte) becomes a rival of the botanist Gapar (whose counterpart is Casper, the jester from puppet theatre). Pierre achieves a miracle during the celebration of the vintage when local legends about a spring of red wine come to fruition. The films episodic structure and liberated style express a freewheeling sense of creativity, joy, and freedom. Elo Havetta admits to the influence of René Clairs An Italian Straw Hat (Un chapeau de paille dItalie) and of French cinema of the golden era, and the film opens with an extract from the Lumière brothers. Like Jakubisko, Havetta draws on folk traditions but there are also visual links to le Douanier Rousseau, Monet, and Renoir. With its elephant, tightrope walkers, and ambling musicians, the whole film evokes the spirit of carnival.
Awards
Mannheim FF 1969 (Grand Prix)