November/December 2009 - Riverside Studios

Friday 13 November
Velvet ®Evolution Single Bill
Something Like Happiness (15)
8.30pm
(Stesti)
Bohdan Slama, Czech Republic, 2005, 102m subtitles
Anna Geislerova, Tatiana Vilhelmova, Pavel Liska
Intertwining stories of three friends
trying to find their place in life.
Monika plans to emigrate to the USA,
Tonik lives on a rundown farm and
Dasa has two children.
The film will be followed by a Q & A
with the director, Bohdan Slama.
Saturday 14 November
Velvet ®Evolution Single Bill
Bohemia Docta or The Labyrinth
of the World and the Paradise of
the Heart (Divine Comedy) (18)
1.30pm
(Bohemia Docta aneb Labyrint
sveta a lusthauz srdce (Bozska
komedie)
Karel Vachek, Czech Republic, 2000, 254m subtitles
Egon Bondy, Vratislav Brabenec, Ivan Martin Jirous
The fringes of politics and mushrooms
feature in this portrait of ‘national
character and soul’ reflecting the
shifts in Czech democracy after 1989.
Handheld cinema vérité is combined
with staged sections. The third part of
an extraordinary philosophical tetralogy.
Saturday 14 November
Velvet ®Evolution Single Bill
Bored in Brno (15) 6.30pm
(Nuda v Brne)
Vladimir Moravek, Czech Republic, 2003, 104m
subtitles
Jan Budar, Miroslav Donutil, Katerina Holanova
Four couples plan to make love on
Saturday night. Standa prepares to
lose his virginity while a middle-aged
psychologist meets an actor no longer
in his sexual prime. Honza secretly
loves his friend Pavel and there is
also unlucky Jaroslava. Hilarious.
Saturday 14 November
Velvet ®Evolution Single Bill
Return of the Idiot (15) 8.35pm
(Navrat idiota)
Sasa Gedeon, Czech Republic, 1999, 99m subtitles
Pavel Liska, Anna Geislerova, Tatiana Vilhelmova
Frantisek (loosely based on
Dostoyevsky’s character) has been
released from a mental hospital
to live with distant relatives. He
soon becomes entangled in conflicts
and revelations between lovers,
siblings and parents and lands in
many awkward, funny and
embarrassing situations.
This month
Velvet ®Evolution
The Best of Czech Cinema 1989 – 2009
12 – 15 November
To mark the 20th anniversary of Velvet
Revolution, the 13th annual Czech Film
Festival presents an overview of the last
twenty years of Czech cinematography
cherry-picking the best films from the
‘Velvet Generation’ of filmmakers as well
as the older generation of filmmakers.
We’re excited to be welcoming film
directors for Q & As after some of the
screenings. Part of Velvet ®Evolution
season presented by the Czech Centre
London. See www.czechcentre.org.uk
One film £7.50 (£6.50 concs), two
films £10 (£8 concs). Except “Hell
with the Princess”.
Sunday 15 November
Velvet ®Evolution Single Bill
Hell with the Princess (U) 2.00pm
(Peklo s princeznou)
Miloslav Smidmajer, Czech Republic, 2009, 96m
In Czech only
Tereza Voriskova, Jiri Madl, Petr Narozny
To prevent a war with the kingdom of a
rejected suitor, King Leopold claims his
daughter is being courted by Lucifer.
All hell breaks loose but Prince Jeronym
gets a chance to show his mettle.
Fancy dress event and workshop
for children. All tickets: £3.50
Little Otik
Sunday 15 November
Velvet ®Evolution Single Bill
Autumn Spring (15) 3.55pm
(Babi leto)
Vladimir Michalek, Czech Republic, 2001, 98m
subtitles
Vlastimil Brodsky, Stella Zazvorkova, Stanislav Zindulka
Retired Fanda plays practical jokes and
enjoys life while Emily thinks of a
retirement home saving for their funerals.
When Fanda robs their funeral fund to
pay off his debts, a clash is inevitable.
An uplifting comedy with brilliant
central performances.
Divided We Fall
Sunday 15 November
Velvet ®Evolution Single Bill
Divided We Fall (PG) 6.00pm
(Musime si pomahat)
Jan Hrebejk, Czech Republic, 2000, 117m subtitles
Bolek Polivka, Anna Siskova, Jaroslav Dusek
A Czech couple tries to survive WWII
but a Jew in hiding, and visits from
a collaborator friend complicate
matters. When they try to conform
they are accused of collaborating.
A black comedy based on a true story.
Nominated for an Oscar.
Sunday 15 November
Velvet ®Evolution Single Bill
Little Otik (15) 8.20pm
(Otesanek)
Jan Svankmajer, Czech Republic/UK/Japan, 2000,
132m subtitles
Kristina Adamcova, Jan Hartl, Veronika Zilkova
A desperate, childless couple adopt a
tree stump as their baby. When ‘Otik’
comes to life he develops a lethal
appetite. A deliciously dark satire
on parental love by surrealist Jan
Svankmajer based on a Czech fairytale
and full of nightmare visions.
Monday 16 November
Forbidden Love Double Bill
The End of the Affair (18) 6.00pm
Neil Jordan, USA, 1999, 108m
Ralph Fiennes, Julianne Moore, Stephen Rea
A writer conducts a passionate affair
with the wife of a civil servant, who
cravenly looks on. She is stricken
with Catholic guilt and the writer
remains a horrified sceptic throughout
the affair.