When the Cat Comes

Až přijde kocour, colour, Czechoslovak comedy, 1963, dir: Vojtech Jasný, Language: Czech, Subtitles: English, 91’

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SCREENINGS

09.22. 16:30
Toldi Small Hall

Directed by Vojtech Jasný
Screenplay by Vojtech Jasný, Jan Werich
Director of photography: Jaroslav Kucera
Music by Svatopluk Havelka
Cast: Jan Werich, Emília Vásáryová, Vlastimil Brodský
Genre: fantasy, comedy
Production: Filmové studio Barrandov

Charming. This is the word that generally springs to the mind of those who have seen this film by Vojtech Jasný. The narrator, speaking from the tower, relates the story of a small town and its inhabitants. And then he appears at the head of a curious travelling circus. One of the members of the company that has escaped from the novels of Bulgakov is the cat in sunglasses, which reveals people’s true selves. It transforms the colour of hypocrites; only the pure, the sincere remain as they are. The location of this wacky little musical burlesque, the delightful town of Telč, and its liberated, candid atmosphere, make it more than a musical satire, more than a didactic play about morality and justification. Audiences at this year’s Cannes film festival got to watch this overlooked gem of Czech New Wave cinema in its fully restored state.

Národní Filmový Archiv – Czech National Filmarchive

Introduction: Jonáš Kucharský, Head of Curators, Národní filmový archiv, Czech Republic