When Jirka and Aneta, a couple in their 30s, let the Jirka’s mother cross the threshold into their home, they have no idea they are playing with fire. Their peaceful life is slowly transformed into a chaotic mess. Valerie, a well-groomed woman in her sixties, is an energetic diva who step by step conquers not only the physical space of the apartment, but also the minds of its occupants. As the creeping home invasion gains force, certainties are undermined and the boundaries of privacy are eroding. Are mothers and mothers-in-law always right? Do they have good intentions toward us? And isn’t that why they are the scariest monsters of them all? (85min, Rated: PG)
Brothers (Bratři)
Directed by Tomáš Mašín
Starring Oskar Her, Jan Nedbal, Stefan Konarske, Tatiana Dyková Vilhelmová
Tuesday, April 16th
Czech Oscar — Best Narrative Film
Czech Republic Candidate for American Academy Award — Best Foreign Film
Brothers tells one of the greatest stories of the Cold War – that of a resistance group of brothers Josef (Oskar Her) and Ctirad Mašín (Jan Nedbal). The Mašín family becomes the target of persecution in communist-dominated Czechoslovakia, and the brothers believe that, following the example of their father, a hero of the anti-Nazi resistance, the only way to fight the dictatorship is with organized resistance. At the same time, they are aware of their responsibility towards their mother (Tatiana Dyková Vilhelmová) and sister (Karolína Lea Nováková). Their group is responsible for a series of violent acts, the investigation of which is entrusted to State Security Captain Koller (Stefan Konarske). The Mašíns become the most wanted men in the country. They attempt to escape to West Berlin, where they plan to join the American army in order to liberate Czechoslovakia. The search for the five resistance members continues in East Germany, where one of the largest manhunts in modern history begins. Few topics in Czech history evoke as much emotion as the story of the Brothers. (135min, Rated: PG-13)
We Have Never Been Modern (Úsvit)
Directed by Matěj Chlupáček
Starring Eliska Krenková, Miloslav König, Richard Langdon, Martha Issová
Tuesday, April 23th
12 Czech Oscar Nominations & Official Selection Karlovy Vary IFF
In 1937 Czechoslovakia, the director of a large factory, Alois (Miloslav König), and his wife, Helena (Eliska Krenková), arrive in in the Slovak mountain town of Svit to build a modern industrial town, following the Baťa model found inZlín in the Moravian Highlands. Their plans are disrupted by the disturbing discovery of a corpse on the factory premises – a stillborn intersex baby…The case exceeds the capabilities of the local authorities and is hushed on the premises, prompting the secret police to arrive on the scene. Yet, a pregnant Helena seems to be the only one really interested in solving the mystery, encountering unexpected obstacles, including her own prejudices… (117min, Rated: NR)
Restore Point (Bod obnovy)
Directed by Robert Hloz
Starring Andrea Mohylová, Matej Hádek, Agáta Kryštůfková, Václav Neuzil
Tuesday, April 30th at 7pm
4 Czech Oscars — Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Stage Design
Imagine living in the year 2041, when you have the right to be revived after an accident or other unnatural death. All you need to do is to create a digital backup of your personality – a POINT OF RESTORATION – on a regular basis. Agent Em is handling a case where the basic rules of recovery have been violated. The victim’s Restoration Point has been erased, leaving Em with an extraordinary crime. A gripping story set in the near future, when technology guarantees a better life and people are able to pay to extend it. (116min, NR)
— From the 2023 Selection —
Buko
Directed by Alice Nellis
Czech Oscar, Best Supporting Role — Martha Issová, Official Selection – Karlovy Vary IFF
Jarmila and her husband Václav move from Prague to the countryside to spend their last years. Upon Václav’s unfortunate passing, Jarmila receives a surprise as dictated in his last will: an old circus horse named Buko she is now supposed to take care of. And with it Jarmila starts a new phase of her life. With help of an autistic Tereza, neighbour Karel and his mother, she tries to create a new home for Buko and find her way to him. But to be able to do so, she first must acknowledge her own feelings and stop hiding behind a daily routine and silly TV shows.
About The Fest!
Presented by Big Day Pictures and PolkaWorks, Czech That Film Texas annually brings the best of Czech contemporary cinema to Texas.
The festival is committed to exhibiting films that not only expose viewers to Czech culture, but also enlighten audiences, bring people together, and present inspired entertainment for all.
