The Ossuary

The Ossuary 1970

6.90

A non-narrative voyage round Sedlec Ossuary, which has been constructed from over 50,000 human skeletons (victims of the Black Death).

1970

Historia Naturae (suita)

Historia Naturae (suita) 1967

6.30

An eight-part animated portrait of various species, accompanied by a different style of music. The various parts are: Aquatilia (foxtrot), Hexapoda (bolero), Pisces (blues), Reptilia (tarantella), Aves (tango), Mammalia (minuet), Simiae (polka) and Homo (waltz). Each animation mixes drawings, pictures, real animals and animated skeletons.

1967

The Last Trick

The Last Trick 1964

6.70

Two magicians, Mr.Schwarzwald and Mr.Edgar, try to outdo each other in performing elaborate magic tricks, leading to a violent ending.

1964

J.S. Bach: Fantasia in G minor

J.S. Bach: Fantasia in G minor 1965

6.00

A man plays the Bach piece of the title on the organ, accompanied by images of stone walls with cracks and holes that grow and shrink, intercut with images of doors and wire-meshed windows.

1965

The Garden

The Garden 1968

7.00

Frank visits his friend Josef, who introduces him to his pedigree rabbits and his wife Mary. Frank is more interested in the slightly unsettling fact that Josef and Mary's garden fence is entirely made up of living people holding hands. Finally, Frank asks Josef how he manages to keep the fence together..

1968

Don Juan

Don Juan 1969

6.90

The age-old story of Don Juan, played by giant puppets.

1969

Elective Affinities

Elective Affinities 1968

4.20

Documentary showing the Czechoslovakian political landscape in March 1968, when president Antonin Novotny, a hardline Stalinist, stepped down and moderate communist Ludvik Svoboda was elected. Five months later, in August 68, the Prague Spring would end with the military intervention of the Warsaw Pact.

1968

Carmen Not Only According to Bizet

Carmen Not Only According to Bizet 1968

8.00

This is funny or rather crazy adaptation of classical opera Carmen inspired by famous czech theatre Ypsilon play of the same name shot at various bizarre locations such as airport, botanical garden and winter forest.

1968

The Last Years

The Last Years 1963

1

This biographical film examines the multitalented personality of Karel Čapek and the context behind the creation of his works such as Krakatit, The White Disease, R-U-R, War with the Newts, or the “pocket stories”.

1963

Srub

Srub 1966

1

It is the depths of winter and in the middle of a desolate landscape on a snowy slope stands a log cabin, inhabited by an old man. The man puts his last log into his stove and the warmth of the fire visibly delights him. He rocks his rocking chair energetically and sings merrily. The flames die away and the old man looks around for something to put on the fire. In the end he sacrifices the chair, but soon that too is burnt up. The man tears the remnants of posters from the walls, gathers various rags and throws everything into the stove. Then he takes an axe and gradually chops up the wooden walls of his house, although it is obvious that he cannot win this duel with cruel nature. The fire gradually eats up the planks and beams until the cabin entirely collapses. The man wants to get warm, and so runs around the dying flames. (https://www.filmovyprehled.cz/en/film/396670/the-log-cabin)

1966