Karel Fiala

The Lost World of Communism is a three-part British documentary series which examines the legacy of Communism twenty years on from the fall of the Berlin Wall. Produced by Peter Molloy and Lucy Hetherington, the series takes a retrospective look at life behind the Iron Curtain between 1945 and 1989, focusing on three countries in the Eastern Bloc - East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Romania. Through film and television footage and the personal recollections of those who lived in these countries, the series offers a glimpse of what daily life was like during the years of Communist rule. The Lost World of Communism debuted on BBC Two on Saturday 14 March 2009 at 9:00pm. There is also a book which accompanies the series.

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The original Czech musical based on Alexandre Dumas' novel was followed by composer Karel Svoboda, Zdeněk Borovec, and Richard Hes, who built on the success of their previous musical, Dracula. The musical Monte Cristo was also performed at the Prague Congress Center and achieved an impressive 444 performances between December 13, 2000, and December 21, 2002, when the final performance took place. The show was seen by 600,000 viewers during that time. Thanks to the Czech Television recording, you too can be there. The musical took almost two years to create, and composer Karel Svoboda once again proved that he is one of our best musical creators today, with a tremendous sense of musicality. He relied on the excellent work of lyricist, librettist, and co-creator of the theme and script, the late master of words Zdeněk Borovec. Richard Hes was the co-creator of the theme and script and, most importantly, the choreographer.

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Disciplined Italian composer Antonio Salieri becomes consumed by jealousy and resentment towards the hedonistic and remarkably talented young Salzburger composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

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The unlucky cultural officer of a spa facility gets involved in compromising situations against his will - and he was originally only after a recommendation to study at an art school.

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It is the summer of 1968 and also in South Moravian Pálavice appear political clashes. The so far peacefully farming Unified farmers' cooperative starts splitting. Some of the farmers have found the cooperative called Vidrupa and want to deal with wine in private trade. Michal Janák, chairman of the farmers' cooperative is a deliberate man and refuses the latent return to the capitalism. As an excellent farmer he continues preparing planting out new vineyards. His adversaries do not agree - the returns will come many years later. Jozka Hrdlicka, an émigré, notices on the Austrian TV the interview with the representatives of Vidrupa and decides to visit his native village. The new suit and the hired car transform the bankrupt and criminal to the successful businessman with wine.

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For some time now, the residents of the placid little village of Sonnenthal talk only about one topic: Football! The ambitious mayor wants to promote the Sonnenthal team to the district league at any price because this success would also boost his own popularity. But he did not expect the resistance of the new head of school, Barbara, who is heavily annoyed by the one-sided focus. To bring Sonnenthal′s men and the mayor in particular to their senses, Barbara sets up a women′s football team that soon turns out to be a serious competition for the men′s team.

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The hero of this popular fairy tale is a young prince who, after the death of his parents, goes out into the world. During his travels he meets a magical talking horse and falls in love with the beautiful princess Slavna. On the advice of his horse, he binds one eye and pretends to be dumb and enters into service as the castle gardener.

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The popular folk singer Jaro Zárubecký, a former waiter, follows the motto "A man is not what he is, but what people think of him", and that is how he is raising his son. He lives only for him. Even though he feels successful, he still tries to equal those "above" him out of a certain feeling of inferiority and wants to bring his son to that level. He learns that Paul is in a group of boys who, for lack of other interests and out of recession, let off gas so that whoever shuts him up will become a "coward". Zárubecký is willing to protect his son even at the cost of losing his job and his life partner...

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An attractive and challenging 16-year-old girl has no shortage of admirers, but she becomes the cause of a small-town problem when she accuses her charming uncle of rape after trying in vain to seduce him. The bitter comedy, the only film directed by actor Václav Lohnisky, relies on the lively acting of both Vladimír Menšík as the eloquent uncle and Lucie Žulová as the mischievous seductress.

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Like a fairy tale, King Henry and King Good-thought decided long ago that their only children should marry and so prevent war arising between their kingdoms ever again. But the young prince is wary of marrying anyone he doesn’t know.

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A satire of the Great American Way, with Lemonade Joe a "clean living" gunfighter who drinks only Kola-Loca Lemonade and convinces everyone else in town (with his gun skills) that all "real men" drink ONLY lemonade!

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For a long time, Marie cannot admit to the break-up of her long marriage and believes that her husband will come back to her...

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An occupation drama about a group of Czech scientists who, in a remote factory, investigate how to produce the vital penicillin as easily as possible - but for a long time they have been unable to find the only right mould to use as a base.

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Screen adaptation of Julius Fucik's story about communist fighters.

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A television music band of so-called television songs, later referred to as clips. Their approaches were innovative on a global scale.

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A poor miner, Kuba Dařbuján, cares for his wife Markýtka and eleven children. When a newborn arrives, he seeks a godfather and, finding only Death fair to all, accepts a pact: as a doctor whom Death accompanies at the foot of a patient’s bed, he can heal; but if Death stands at the head, no cure is possible. Kuba eventually heals even a miserly brewer, violating the pact and imprisoning Death, leading to a world where no one can die and unforeseen chaos follows.

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The construction of the new dam deprived the ferryman Ryba of his trade. The new dam replaced the ferry. However, Ryba's ancestors were ferrymen and the old man would have liked his two sons to take up the same profession. But Joseph is an indecisive weakling and Karel found work on the dam. That's why old Ryba drove him out of the house. The persistent rain brings Ryba miserable joy. The man knows well that a sudden flood can endanger the unfinished dam. In his fanatical hatred, he forgets that the water from a broken dam would sweep away his house and his daughter-in-law and sick grandchild in the first place...

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Labakan is a lazy tailor's journeyman dreaming of a life of luxury and dresses himself in fancy clothes for the rich emir, and when he sees how respectfully people greet him in the marketplace, he seizes the opportunity that unexpectedly presents itself. For he meets the Sultan's son Omar, who was brought up by the noble Cairo Pasha and is now returning home. Labakan steals the Sultan's dagger, his trademark, and sets out to find him. However, the Sultan's wife recognizes her true son and forces the Sultan to put both men to the test. Both have to prove their skill by sewing a coronation gown, which of course only the real tailor Labakan will be able to do, and so the executioner awaits him. Fortunately, it was all a dream and the foolish young man will make amends in time.

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It happened during the reign of King Vladislav Jagiellon: the rebellious knight Dalibor is sentenced to death. An attempt to free him fails. This underappreciated transcription of Smetana's opera surprises with its fresh originality, even compared to much later attempts to translate musical-dramatic works to the screen.

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An early comic short film by Václav Vorlíček.

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