Country: Czechoslovakia

Direction Ján Kadár · Elmar Klos

Cast Josef Kroner · Frantisek Zvarik · Ida Kaminska · Hana Slivkova

Plot Tono Briko (Josef Kroner) is a slothful Czechslovakian carpenter. The time is World War II, and the occupying Nazis are nationalizing all Jewish-owned businesses. To please his ambitious family, Tono...

Direction Oldrich Lipský

Cast Vladimir Mensik · Jaroslava Obermajerová · Josef Abrhám · Bohuš Záhorský

Direction Dusan Hanák

Plot Pictures of the Old World is an unquestioned masterpiece of European documentary cinema, with existential radicalism that offers a contrast to the shallowness of hundreds of other documentary films showing...

Direction Karel Kachyna

Cast Iva Janzurová · Jaromír Hanzlík · Ludek Munzar · Vladimír Ptácek

Plot A WW2 story of a young Austrian soldier running from the Russian army and a woman whom he forces to come along in order to save his wounded mate.

Direction Frantisek Vlácil

Cast Josef Kemr · Magda Vásáryová · Nada Hejna · Jaroslav Moucka

Plot A minor Czech clan falls afoul of the King in medieval times, against the backdrop of Christianity replacing Paganism.

Direction Frantisek Vlácil

Cast Petr Cepek · Jan Kacer · Vera Galatíková · Zdenek Kryzánek

Plot Ondrej, a young boy who loves bees and bats, is introduced to his new mother, a woman much younger than his father. He brings her a basketful of flowers which...

Direction Otakar Vávra

Cast Elo Romancik · Vladimír Smeral · Sona Valentová · Josef Kemr

Plot A very popular movie on the medieval persecution of witches (inquisition).

Direction Peter Solan

Cast Stefan Kvietik · Manfred Krug · Valentina Thielová · Józef Kondrat

Plot In a Nazi concentration camp, an escapee awaiting execution is spared when the commandant, a former prize-fighter, discovers the prisoner has amateur boxing ability. Ordered to train, he gradually sharpens...

Direction Hugo Haas

Cast Hugo Haas · Bedrich Karen · Zdenek Stepánek · Václav Vydra

Plot “The White Disease”, a leprosy-like disease, ravages the world during a war. Based on a play by Karel Čapek.

Direction Karel Kachyna

Cast Frank Argus · Josef Barta · Gustáv Valach · Eduard Bredun

Direction Karel Kachyna

Cast Jirina Bohdalová · Radoslav Brzobohatý · Jirí Císler · Miroslav Holub

Plot Ludvik, a Communist official, arrives back home with his wife after spending the evening at a government function where he finds out that several of his colleagues have been 'relieved'...

Direction Jan Švankmajer

Plot A three-part depiction of various forms of communication. 'Factual Discussion' depicts three heads (made up of fruit, kitchen utensils and writing implements respectively) endlessly devouring and regurgitating each other. 'Passionate...

Direction Juraj Herz

Cast Vlasta Chramostová · Rudolf Hrusínsky · Jiří Menzel · Ilja Prachar

Plot Karl works at a crematorium in Prague. Obsessed with his duties, he believes he is not just cremating the dead, but liberating the souls of the departed. With Nazi forces...

Direction Jirí Barta

Plot The story is a dark retelling of the Pied Piper, a traditional folk story.

Direction Stefan Uher

Cast Marián Bielik · Jana Beláková · Olga Salagová · Pavel Chrobak

Plot The Sun in a Net is a lyrical story about the emotions arising among two young people who pretend cynicism and rejection towards society in an attempt to hide their...

Direction Frantisek Vlácil

Cast Katerina Irmanovová · Anna Pitasová · Karel Smyczek · Vjaceslav Irmanov

Direction Frantisek Vlácil

Cast Miroslav Machácek · Vítezslav Vejrazka · Vít Olmer · Cestmír Randa

Plot The story takes place in the early 18th century when a priest arrives in a small town to investigate the rumors that a miller's family, who survived a house burning,...

Direction Jiří Menzel

Cast Václav Neckár · Josef Somr · Vlastimil Brodsky · Vladimír Valenta

Plot At a village railway station in occupied Czechoslovakia, a bumbling dispatcher’s apprentice longs to liberate himself from his virginity. Oblivious to the war and the resistance that surrounds him, this...

Direction Jan Švankmajer

Cast Kristýna Kohoutová · Camilla Power

Plot A memorably bizarre screen version of Lewis Carroll's novel 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', mixing one live actor (Alice) with a large variety of stop-motion animated creatures, ranging from the complex...

Direction Jirí Trnka

Plot A powerful allegory of the artist laboring under oppressive censorship.