The Second Republic

In December 1989, the "Iron Curtain" that separated the Soviet Bloc from the Western world fell. Cutting the wires from the previously impenetrable borders is probably the most memorable symbol of the continent’s newly acquired freedom. But how did the former Border Patrol Officers see the events at the time? Their main task was not to patrol the borders against dangers from the outside world, but rather to hunt down citizens from Czechoslovakia and other countries of the Soviet Bloc who were trying to escape into the democratic world.  

Energetically sustainable communities are unique and far between in our corner of the world. The standard situation is that the biggest chunk of money from municipal budgets reserved to pay for gas and electricity, goes to energy giants and monopolies, and other options are not even considered.

A documentary look at this current political issue presents unique scenes of life in the annexed territory where foreign journalists and television crews are not allowed. The film is a mosaic portrait of several men and women, whose everyday lives have been affected by the political crisis between Ukraine and Russia. Just as international pressure and sanctions have made the Crimean peninsula a de facto island, so too are the supporters and opponents of Russian annexation isolated (pen)insulas in search of their identity within the sea of a divided society. 

The private life and the career of Soňa Červená were affected by stormy history of the 20th century and its two monstrous totalitarian systems: Nazism and Communism. The documentary looks back at the milestones of her journey, using reflections and historical evidence. Červená talks openly about the difficulties encountered throughout her life. The feature documentary about a world famous opera singer and actress was directed by Olga Sommerová.

Although it is still a legal grey area, an increasing number of children in the Czech Republic are born to surrogate mothers who act as something like an incubator for the genetic material of other couples. But can you give birth to a child, hand it to someone else, and then go on with your life as if nothing has happened? What if the child “doesn’t turn out right” or if the couple has second thoughts about parenthood?

This documentary analyses the quality of infowar and the effects of disinformation in the Czech Republic. It tries to find out who is behind false reports that spread mainly through social networks and so called conspiracy webs. The film also tries to answer the question whether these false reports, stories and emotions are spread as part of Russian propaganda and whether those Czechs who are for various reasons unhappy with the direction their country chose after 1989 are in on the scheme.

Just as we are experiencing the unification of culture and society, so is nature. We are experiencing the greatest ecological collapse of species in recorded history. Birds and plants are disappearing, but perhaps the ones experiencing the greatest decline are butterflies. These insects are so delicate that even the smallest change in the environment can affect their populations. As a result of fields being consolidated and traditional farming becoming abandoned, this once common species has begun to appear much less frequently in the countryside to the point where they’ve become literally stranded on small “islands”. For some species, it has gotten so bad that we can find the “last of the Mohicans” on just one hill. What do butterflies need to survive and what should their habitat look like? 

After its successful documentary film featuring interviews with five abused women, Czech Television takes a look at another side of domestic violence. The stories of the film’s four male protagonists show that although the methods of violence are similar, the victims’ are in a much different position: Violence against men is usually questioned, and their partners, however manipulative and aggressive, are in a much more advantageous position, since the men, as representatives of the supposedly stronger sex, are generally not believed. The film is the first ever documentary to look at this socially taboo subject. 

The Bikes for Africa charitable project has been operating in the Czech Republic since 2012. Its mission is to offer African children a way of getting to school. The project is founded on the principles of giving, volunteerism, cooperation, and people’s personal initiative. One interesting paradox is the fact that the project involves people from the margins of society (prisoners, homeless people), who recieve a “second chance,” thus giving the project not only a humanitarian, but also an environmental dimension involving the “ecology of the soul.” The film shows all these aspects of the project, set against the journey of one particular bicycle donated by a Czech girl to her Gambian peer. 

Vlasta Šrůtková has lived through many ups and down not just in her own life, but in the life of her country. She is exceptionally vital for her age, living on Prague’s Kampa Island, a perfect place for reflecting on Czech history, identity, the nation. Her life is an exceptionally strong story in which the central event of our country are also key moments in her own life. 

Martin Rajniš, the “enfant terrible” of Czech architecture, refuses to accept the current state of his field and of society in general. He is just as “terrible” as the French architect Pierre Charles L’Enfant, who designed Washington, D.C., for President Thomas Jefferson. According to one version, the expression “enfant terrible” was inspired by the fact that L’Enfant was extremely difficult to work with. Today, however, it often describes someone original, daring, and direct. The documentary captures Rajniš’s inspirational approach and his working process – both at his studio in Prague and at his country cottage in the village of Maxov in the Jizera Mountains.

Professor Josef Koutecký founded, built up and institutionalised a brand new medical field – paediatric oncology – first in Czechoslovakia, later in the Czech Republic. He has been the head of a clinic, a dean and a vice-chancellor and has trained a vast number of paediatric oncologists. But this documentary is not about him as a professor but rather about him as a man. It is not about his successes but about love and faith. It is not about an elderly man but about someone who has always stood upright.