directed by Jan Høebejk, comedy, 116 min, eng subtitles
written by Petr Jarchovský
with Miroslav Donutil, Jiøí Kodet, Simona Stašová, Eva Holubová
A family retro-comedy for all ages set at the end of the sixties about everyday family fun and hardship, about the drama inherent in relationships and differing opinions, about sorrow—but also finally, about first love. This is a gently poetic and humorous story of the fate of aging parents, maturing teens and younger children. The actual plot of the film takes place in a villa, in which two families, the Šebeks and Krauses, live side by side. Mr. Šebek, a simple-minded, good-natured officer by profession is a supporter of the ruling political regime. In contrast, Mr. Kraus, a former resistance fighter with bitter war experiences is his staunch adversary. In the end, each member of both families must live out his own story in his own “cosy den“ until the Soviet invasion of August 1968 violently disturbs their world.
Awards
Karlovy Vary IFF 1999 (Special Mention, FIPRESCI Prize)
Varna IFF 2003 (Main Prize – Golden Afrodite, Special Mention of Film Critique)
Czech Film Critics’ Awards 1999 (Best Film)
With the support of the Czech Embassy in Brussels.