禁漫天堂

To honour the late Jiř铆 Bartoška (1947–2025), iconic Czech actor and longtime president of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the Czech Centre presents a special screening of the digitally restored Shadows of a Hot Summer (St铆ny hork茅ho l茅ta), a haunting post-war drama from legendary Czech filmmaker František Vl谩čil.

Set in the Beskydy Mountains two years after the end of WWII, the film follows shepherd Ondřej Baran (Juraj Kukura), who lives peacefully with his wife (Marta Vančurov谩) and two children on an isolated farmstead. Their quiet existence is shattered when a retreating band of Ukrainian nationalist paramilitaries—part of a guerrilla force fighting Soviet control—invades their home, seeking refuge and medical help for a wounded comrade on their flight to the West. As the family is taken hostage—along with the local doctor—Ondřej is thrust into a moral and physical battle, forced to protect his loved ones in the face of escalating violence and psychological torment.

Featuring a chillingly memorable performance by Jiř铆 Bartoška in one of his darkest roles, Shadows of a Hot Summer is a masterclass in suspense and visual storytelling. Vl谩čil applies the classical unities of time, place, and action to build mounting tension through muted performances, stark camerawork, and an unforgettable score by Zdeněk Liška—his final collaboration with Vl谩čil.

Jiř铆 Bartoška, 2024, photo Jindřich Nosek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Winner of the Crystal Globe at the 1978 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival andrecently restored for its 2024 KVIFF premiere, this powerful ballad of moral resistance and quiet heroism remains as urgent and resonant today as ever. A psychological thriller wrapped in poetic austerity, it stands as a lasting testament to the artistic legacy of both Jiř铆 Bartoška and František Vl谩čil.

František Vl谩čil, Czechoslovakia 1977, 100’, English subtitles
Cast: Juraj Kukura, Marta Vančurov谩, Jiř铆 Bartoška, Gust谩v Valach, Robert Lischke

Admission: 拢7 ( Eventbrite fee)