Czech Dream (2003) Reviews

In post-Communist Czech Republic, consumers no longer wait on long lines for essential goods, but in recent years, they've been known to camp out overnight in anticipation of the grand opening of the latest "hypermarket." The rapid expansion of the hypermarket phenomenon in their homeland inspired young filmmakers Vít Klusák and Filip Remunda to use state-of-the-art marketing techniques to wage a massive promotional campaign for their own hypermarket, which they would call, "Czech Dream." The major difference between Czech Dream and its competitors was that the Czech Dream hypermarket existed only in Klusák and Remunda's imaginations. And so, perhaps the most elaborate prank in the history of documentary filmmaking began. First, Klusák and Remunda hired image consultants, ditching their shabby student appearances for something slick, corporate, and upbeat. Newly yuppified, the filmmakers hired the advertising agency Mark BBDO to help them sell their fraud to the public. An ingeniously forthright ad campaign, plastered on bus kiosks and billboards throughout Prague, warns potential shoppers, "Don't come...don't rush...don't spend." A schmaltzy jingle plays on the radio, and television ads are placed. The nonexistent market's location is withheld from the public until just before opening day, when a huge crowd gathers in a meadow outside the city, where behind a colorful facade lies...nothing. Czech Dream was shown at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival, where it was introduced by filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me). ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi