Three Czech New Wave Classics

June 9, 2012 - June 29, 2012

A trio of classics circulating in 35mm format from the Czech National Archives offers a rare chance to see two films by one of Europe’s most innovative filmmakers from the 1960s, Vera Chytilová, and a third film by her fellow Czech New Wave director Jaromil Jires. Join us for these experimental narratives that remain as eye-opening today as when they first appeared.

Saturday, June 9, 2012
8:30 p.m. Daisies
Vera Chytilová (Czechoslovakia, 1966). A brightly colored surrealist comedy starring a couple of chicks in search of kicks. Chytilová's most acclaimed film, spawned by the Prague Spring. (74 mins)

Friday, June 15, 2012
7:00 p.m. Fruit of Paradise
Vera Chytilová (Czechoslovakia, 1970). Adam and Eve seduced by Satan in an East European health spa. "One of the most inventive, visually alive films in recent years" (Roger Ebert, 1970). (95 mins)

Friday, June 29, 2012
9:00 p.m. Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
Jaromil Jires (Czechoslovakia, 1969). A 1970s cult classic about a girl's initiation into the world of desire. "The film's logic is that of the subconscious, its images those of Gothic fairy tale and the psychiatrist's couch, and its overall effect stunning" (Time Out). (75 mins)

Series organized by Susan Oxtoby. We wish to thank Karel Zima, Czech National Archives, Prague, for the loan of these prints.