Kristína Tormová

The psyche of a ruthless secret agent in Cold War Czechoslovakia begins to unravel when he obsesses over the girlfriend of a suspected subversive he is tracking. This taut political thriller is a bleak and potent rendering of the emotional destruction wreaked by totalitarianism.

Monika, a woman in her fifties, feels that she has reached all the important milestones in her life. Her child is grown up and she is very successful in her career as a workaholic. However, she has less and less in common with her husband, and her thoughts are increasingly returning to her youth, when she was not afraid to go off the beaten track and could appreciate the beauty of the moment. Monika decides to discover her adventurous self and enrols in a climbing course organised by Igor. He is the absolute opposite of Monika - a spontaneous and chaotic fool, a lifelong adventurer with no self-reflection and no sense of responsibility, who is mired in problems caused by his carefree lifestyle.

Juraj, a poor yet courageous shepherd, lives in a small village where he is exploited by the ruthless castle lord, Blažej. Driven by a longing to break free from this oppressive life, he dreams of exploring the world and diligently saves money while learning to read and write with guidance from a local teacher. His ambitions take an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with Júlia, a noblewoman cursed three centuries ago by greedy relatives who coveted her title and riches. Now bound to her plight, Juraj faces a heart-wrenching dilemma: pursue his dream of freedom or shoulder the burden of aiding Júlia, a lost soul from another era who relies on him for help.

The story of Jarda Kuchař, a hero of the bygone era of Tuzex vouchers. His income comes from renting out his own apartment. Every summer, he is forced to spend his time at an abandoned pond, where he runs an even more abandoned snack bar. His right-hand man (and he is left-handed) is the local simpleton Kamil Hošpes. Among the handful of customers are two tractor drivers, Jirka and Péťa, and Jarda's sworn enemy, the fanatical fisherman Pepa Vrtílek with his dog Pepík. The capricious summer days are disrupted by an apparition of monstrous proportions. Lojza, a monster catfish, emerges from the depths of the third irrigation category and eats Vrtílek's dog. Jarda Kuchař sees Lojza as an opportunity to revive local tourism. He calls on fishermen from all over the country. And two actually arrive...

The last day of the first year of the young Slovak Republic is coming to an end. Everyone is celebrating. The king of the underworld, Efendi, and the President. Only the President has nothing to celebrate. The President, who himself has trodden the path to office, refuses to appoint his clever Chalanis as Minister. The President will become uncomfortable. How to make him listen to what the President wants? The President's son is beaten up in broad daylight by an organised group and taken abroad a few months later. A young Secret Service agent, Oskar, gripped by conscience, confesses to an investigator that he took part in the abduction at the behest of his superiors...

Set in Czechoslovakia, the drama follows the lives of its characters against the backdrop of real historical events that shape their personal stories. To evoke period atmosphere, the series intersperses authentic clips from vintage Czechoslovak film newsreels, using their original commentaries or newly recorded historical voice-overs by Vladimír Fišer. A narrator, initially voiced by Vojtěch Kotek and later by Matěj Hádek, provides continuity and reflection, guiding viewers through changing times. Under the guidance of screenwriter Rudolf Merkner, each episode’s script weaves family and individual dramas into key moments of Czech and Slovak history: political shifts, cultural trends, and social transformations from the 1960s onward.