An Emancipated Woman Cooks

Zdeněk Forman / Czechoslovakia / 1971 / The film already had its Czech Premiere / 17 min.

synopsis

The stove is the saddest altar to which half of humanity sacrifices its abilities, strength, and satisfaction. This critical portrait bitterly comments on the double-edged meaning of emancipation in post-war society, which built up the image of the working woman, but did not abandon the cult of the housewife. Labour market reform is not complete without reform of the household.

biography

Zdeněk Forman (1926–1981) worked as an assistant director, teacher, and organizer. He made the instructional film Vzorné představení (Exemplary Performance, 1956), about the work of a projectionist, and Jídlo pod mikroskopem (Food Under the Microscope, 1971). He collaborated on the films Život bez kytary (Life Without a Guitar, 1962), by Jiří Hanibal, and Kotrmelec (Somersault, 1961), by Václav Sklenář. Together with Vojtěch Jasný and Karel Kachyňa, he wrote the book Budujeme pohraničí (We Are Building the Borderlands) in 1950.