Jan Kacer Movies

A former Greek refugee takes a journey into the past in this moody drama. Stavros (Jiri Bartoska) was born in Greece during World War II, but like many Greek children he was exiled to Czechoslovakia in 1948 during a period of civil war in the country. After he grew to adulthood, Stavros returned to Greece and pursued a successful career as an architect, but his grandparents stayed behind, despite their fierce love for the land of their birth. After his grandmother and grandfather have passed on, Stavros decides to return to the former Czechoslovakia to claim their remains and bring them back for a burial in their homeland. However, the voyage proves to be more emotionally trying than Stavros imagined, as he finds himself reliving events from his youth, both happy and troubling. Podzimni Navrat received its North American premier at the 2001 Montreal Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Moviemaker Evald Schorm, once described as "the conscience of the Czech New Wave," had been inactive for several years before completing his valedictory film Vlastne se Nic Nestalo. The title translates to Killing with Kindness, which pretty much says it all. The protagonist is a young woman burdened with a fiercely overprotective mother. This is an outgrowth of mom's guilt over a childhood accident which left her daughter somewhat disfigured. Ultimately, the daughter develops the strength to stand on her own two feet without her mom's smothering succor. Most of the cast members of Vlastne se Nic Nestalo had appeared in Schorm's first feature-length effort, Everyday Courage (1964). The director died at the age of 57 in 1988, the year before Vlastne se Nic Nestalo was distributed in the U.S. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this Czech political allegory-cum-sci-fi adventure, ten teens from different schools find themselves chosen to take part in a special skiing workshop in the mountains. On the day of the seminar, 11 young people, each bearing an invitation, arrive. A massive avalanche occurs and the ski-lodge is cut off from outside contact. Unfortunately, food supplies are limited and the three instructors strongly advise that the youths work together to make do or choose someone to leave. Time passes and soon the kids learn that their "teachers" are not what they seem to be. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A young man takes a job as a dispatcher in a mid-size company after he is thrown out of college. He holds a grudge against the older generation until he falls in love with the boss' daughter. The employee then decides that the trappings of the wealthy are not all bad as he becomes a materialistic opportunist. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

In this Czech comedy, an art critic is hounded by a determined man who wishes to publish his manuscript about a famous artist. When the critic receives the author's work, he sends a letter wishing the man luck without reading a single page. The determined author forces the art critic to tell him what he thinks of his manuscript. In the meantime, the writer loses his job, his girlfriend, and falls out of favor with the Communist Party before learning his literary efforts are no good. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Jan Kadar (who co-directed this film with Elmar Klos) plays a Czech partisan fighter in the waning days of the war. Just as peace is declared, Kadar is shot in the spine and sent to the hospital emergency ward. As he fades in and out of consciousness, he recalls the events that led to his participation in the underground. Holding German occupation commander Engelchen responsible for all the horrors and deprivations heaped upon his comrades, Kadar is kept alive by the possibility of recovering and exacting vengeance upon the Nazi officer--no matter how long it takes. Death is Called Engelchen was also released as For We Too Do Not Forgive and Because We Don't Forget. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi