Ivan Havel: Late Harvest

Jiří Trnka was one of the greatest Czech artists of the 20th century and one of the founding fathers of puppet animation. His poetic and imaginative work starkly contrasts with the dark era of the 1950s in Czechoslovakia. His work was used by the regime as evidence that the communist society was able to provide artists with great conditions for creating works of art. The ideological race between East and West was unavoidable and affected both children and their stories.

The Žďár Highlands and the Iron Mountains, the most preserved parts of the Vysočina region, look almost the same as they did more than a hundred years ago. Come and see our country in a way that you never have before, and be amazed by its beauty and diversity.

A look at the lives of three photographers. Josef Koudelka, Antonín Kratochvíl, and the Moravian photographer Vojta Dukát all spent the majority of their lives outside Czechoslovakia. The film explores the differences in their work, which often shares similar themes, places, or encounters.

This documentary film depicts the events of the Lidice tragedy in the practically unknown story of 30 Terezin prisoners. Until now, the story of Lidice has been recalled mainly through the testimonies of Lidice women, who returned to a plundered and burned home after the Second World War. The murder of Lidice men seemed to have ended their story once and for all. The women had remained silent since that horrific night when their husbands were shot and placed in a mass grave, and would only recall the lives of their husbands through mourning.

In 1994, Alfréd Wetzler and Rudolf Vrba miraculously escaped from Auschwitz, driven by the conviction that they must inform the world about the horrors being committed at the camp. However, they soon discovered that few people were interested in them, as if nobody wanted to know about the Jewish suffering in the factories of death!

A pictorial "féerie" (fairy play) documentary evoking the long-gone landscape of the Prague periphery around Botič. Becoming a model for confrontation with its modern appearance is this unfinished screenplay by director Jiří Lehovec, photographs by Josef Sudek and pictures by Kamil Lhoták.

The life story of jockey Martina Růžičková is full of loss, pain, and obstacles, but she also managed to face up to adversity with newfound strength and resolve. How does she live today, did she succeed in entering the Great Pardubice Steeplechase at age 50, and what surprises did she experience thanks to Folie d’Ocean, the mare bought for her by famous Finnish racecar driver Mika Häkkinen?

Rock legend Vladimír Mišík has his own little planet. It was discovered in 1995 by Czech astronomers from Kleť Observatory who named it in Mišík’s honour. And it is mostly on this very planet that Jitka Němcová’s new documentary about Vladimír Mišík and his beautiful songs takes place, reminiscing on all the weird things that happened in his life and recounting a rather thrilling search.

Is it possible to share your life with someone who has a different faith than you? What are the pitfalls of such a relationship, and how can it be enriching? A new series about people who show that differences don’t have to be divisive. Festival audiences will see the third episode of the series.

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.

Věra Bílá was once one of the largest celebrities on the Czech music scene. Together with the band Kale, she went on numerous tours of Europe, the USA, and Japan. But after leaving the band in 2006 she no longer performs in public, and her passion for gambling machines caused her to fall into debt. In 2013, her only (adopted) son passed away, followed soon after by her husband. She spent Christmas 2016 all alone in a small room. Nobody gave her any gifts. She remembers her grandmother, who survived Auschwitz, and the many downturns and insults she has had to suffer. And yet she looks forward, with faith in a new project, new energy, hope…

Perhaps everyone knows of the footage of the crackdown on demonstrators at Národní třída on November 17th, 1989. Jan Slezák, Milan Danišovič and Jiří Laňka were involved in suppressing the demonstration on November 17th, 1989, albeit to a different degree. Jan Slezák was the commander of the company of the Emergency Regiment for Public Security and at the time of the crackdown, he waited in the emergency room as a backup. Milan Danišovič commanded the entire intervention. Jiří Laňka was a member of the special unit of the Ministry of the Interior, known as the "red berets."