Pavel Hrdlička

Editor

Biography

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Filmography

Burning Bush

Based on real characters and events, this haunting drama focuses on the personal sacrifice of a Prague history student, Jan Palach, who set himself on fire in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1969. Dagmar Burešová, a young female lawyer, became part of his legacy by defending Jan's family in a trial against the communist government, a regime which tried to dishonour Palach’s sacrifice, a heroic action for the freedom of Czechoslovakia.

6.7

We Have Never Been Modern

Helena, is about to give birth and face a rosy future in a modern city, as the pregnant wife of an important factory manager. However, all her illusions soon perish, as the dead body of a newborn intersex baby is found in the middle of their factory. Helena needs to find out what happened here for the safety of her own child, but she runs into her own prejudices.

6.2

Franz

Conceived as a kaleidoscopic mosaic, the film follows the imprint Franz Kafka left on the world from his birth in 19th-century Prague to his death in post-WW1 Vienna.

6.2

Spoor

A story about Janina Duszejko, an elderly woman, who lives alone in the Klodzko Valley where a series of mysterious crimes are committed. Duszejko is convinced that she knows who (or what) is the murderer, but nobody believes her.

7.4

Green Border

In the treacherous and swampy forests that make up the so called “green border” between Belarus and Poland, refugees from the Middle East and Africa trying to reach the European Union are trapped in a geopolitical crisis cynically engineered by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. In an attempt to provoke Europe, refugees are lured to the border by propaganda promising easy passage to the EU. Pawns in this hidden war, the lives of Julia, a newly minted activist who has given up her comfortable life, Jan, a young border guard, and a Syrian family intertwine.

6.7

Charlatan

Born in the early 20th century, herbalist Jan Mikolasek became rich and famous after curing countless diseases with unorthodox means. A true emblem of Czechoslovakia before World War II, the healer became even more appreciated during the Nazi occupation and the communist regime. Each regime appreciates his skill and protects him. But how much will it cost him to maintain his status in a new political change?

5.5

The Protector

A Czech journalist joins a Prague radio station what broadcasts Nazi propaganda in order to protect his Jewish wife. However, as the Nazi rule over Czechoslovakia calls for more and more collaboration, his relationship with his wife spirals downward.

3.0

O život

Michal unexpectedly remains alone with Zita after a forest cabin celebration and, following a passionate night together, must rush back to town through a series of unexpected obstacles. As they confront dramatic challenges and encounter a mysterious presence and a ghostly figure, they gradually uncover hidden connections between them, all building toward a surprising resolution.

5.0

Grandpa, Let's Go!

One day Grandpa Jeremi causes such a commotion in the retirement home that he is threatened with transfer to a psychiatric hospital. Marta, his daughter, agrees to take him in, although this is difficult for her, since Jeremi is unpredictable and has a vivid imagination. The situation is complicated by Jagoda, Marta’s daughter, who adores her grandfather and shares his crazy ideas. When Jeremi refuses to live with the family, Jagoda decides to take matters into her own hands.

6.8

Champions

Ice hockey is a Czech national obsession, and the country's victory over Russia in the 1969 World Championships, the year following the Soviet invasion, is a celebrated moment in its history. In Marek Najbrt's black comedy, the heroic exploits take place only on a black and white tv screen as a group of representative misfits gather and watch the game in a desolate village on the Czech border. While consisting of recognisable types, Najbrt's bleak portrait reveals a world of alcoholism, debt, racism, bigotry, and infidelity that trails behind the dreams of nationalism and bears little resemblance to the fantasies of the new consumerism. A clever and multi-levelled film, it provides a sharp antidote to the reconciliatory charms of the conventional Czech comedy.

7.1

Imago

Ela is a rebellious artist struggling with the deep gray everyday life of Poland in the 1980's, including family problems and personal demons originating in bipolar disorder.

6.4

The Magic Quill

The devil's magic quill keeps a tight record of sins. But when this precious artifact is stolen, a demon must find a way to make things right again.

5.7

By a Sharp Knife

Ludovít's only son was murdered by neo-Nazis. However, due to the dysfunctional judicial system, the same perpetrators are released, and Ľudo is trying with all its might to achieve their re-arrest. He struggles with the apathetic police, the opportunistic judge, but also with the fact that he did not know his son well enough and was not a support for him. The more he blames himself for his death, the more his relationship with his wife Zuzana and daughter Janka falls apart. And all the more persistently he tries to intervene in the investigation himself. However, when he learns that his son's death was not a random attack by extremists, but an organized criminal group, he realizes that he is up against an enemy beyond his strength. He will try to save at least what he has left - his own family.

4.7

The Ro(c)k con Artists

Young musicians unexpectedly find themselves face to face with the practices of the underworld and the mafia.

4.8

Polski film

“The fact that I’m playing myself doesn’t mean that it’s me.” Four old schoolmates, today well-known Czech actors (Pavel Liška, Tomáš Matonoha, Josef Polášek and Marek Daniel), decide to make a movie together. Their ambitious colleague Jan Budař takes up directing duties and financing has arrived from Poland. What started out pleasantly enough, however, soon goes awry. Liška’s pronunciation difficulties, Daniel’s alter ego Havlát, and Matonoha’s financial machinations turn the shoot into a fight for survival. More than just a film about friendship and the absurdity of actors’ lives, director Marek Najbrt gives us a witty meditation on reality and illusion, and a unique take on the reality film genre. One of Pavel Liška’s on-set comments (“I didn’t know if I should act as if I were acting, or act as if I weren’t acting, or just not act at all”) illustrates the provocative nature of Najbrt’s subversive, quasi-documentary game.

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