Adéla Špaljová

Tom (4 years old), Suzanne (8) and Derek (10) spend the weekend with their grandparents. But nothing is as usual: Grandpa seems to be elsewhere; Tom wonders where Grandma has gone, she who always tells him incredible stories; Derek is hard at work renovating the old apple tree hut. So following in the footsteps of her ancestor, Suzanne improvises herself as a storyteller to illuminate the house with imaginary and wonderful stories and try to fill the absence of Grandmother. The movie is an adaptation of three tales written by Arnost Goldflam.

Six Prague residents pursue bizarre rituals. Mr. Peony builds a chicken costume to wear while enacting homicidal fantasies toward neighbor Mrs. Loubalova, who does the same dressed as a dominatrix. Their mail carrier, Mrs. Malkova, inhales tiny balls of bread. Newsstand operator Mr. Kula obsessively watches the broadcasts of news anchor Mrs. Beltinska, whose husband regularly scrubs his body.

We had a unique moment. Czech Republic without tourists, mountains without skiers, empty streets, shops, all of this suddenly seemed almost magical. A different view of reality opened up to us. Free from descriptiveness, focused on the essential things that make life worth living. The main heroes of the film are frozen time, David Chmelař, a tugboat driver, Vanda Hybnerová, an actress, Tomáš Halík, a priest and philosopher, Havel Parkán, a café owner, and Radůza, a singer. They all agreed at the beginning that this is a time that is an opportunity to make a difference.

Bára Basiková is an icon of Czech rock and other music genres. To what extent can her public, media-distorted image differ from the person she really is? The answer comes in the form of the latest long-term documentary study from Helena Třeštíková, whose empathy, coupled with admirable self-reflection and openness on the part of the protagonist, gives rise to a fascinating film portrait: over the course of fifty years we follow a woman who demonstrates remarkable strength as she faces the challenges of both her professional and private lives.​

Tomáš Etzler worked for seven years as a foreign correspondent in China. He came to know a country that was developing at an admirably fast pace, was swayed by its energy, and for a moment believed that modernity could bring about political change as well. Before long, it dawned on him that many people would continue to be severely punished, and the regime would still keep most of the nation in a state of indecision and ignorance. Without neglecting that face of China today, Etzler chose to tell a story of hope in his personal documentary. Using the example of an orphanage for disabled children, he shows that the answer to collectivist brutality and ruthlessness can be mutual assistance, tolerance and empathy.

The feature film Diary of an Alcoholic tells the dramatic story of a young woman struggling with alcohol addiction. The main heroine (although she often does not act like a heroine) is a young mother who decided not to give up, to start treatment and to fight her demon and her family. How hard is it to admit a drinking problem? Why is not even a small child an obstacle to addiction? Where to get the strength to heal and what comes next? These and many other questions are answered by an authentic and honest cinematic confession of an abstinent alcoholic.

A look at the legendary Czech sound designer and his profession. Editor and documentary filmmaker Adéla Špaljová has her father Ivo Špalj talk about his life, career, and working methods. Over the course of his long life, sound designer Ivo Špalj (*1940) has collaborated on hundreds of films and become a mentor for at least one generation of men and women behind the mixing board. This gentle documentary also shows “Engi” (as he is known to his colleagues) again working with Jan Švankmajer, whose films he has lent their typical, dense, and sophisticated sound mix.

A story of an extraordinary artist who has unintentionally signed a deal with a devil. Jiří Trnka was one of the biggest Czech artists of the 20th century and one of the founders of the puppet animation. His work demonstrated the world that communist society can provide better conditions for extraordinary artistic creations. The ideological clash between West and East didn’t leave children and their stories apart from their struggle in ideological and political positions.

Rabbits from the magician's hat will once again be given space to conjure up smiles on the faces of viewers across all generations. Thanks to the story and graphics, which meet the current trends in animated production, the film has ambitions to reach and entertain the whole family. The main roles will be played by the rabbits Bob and Bobek living in a maringotka after a famous magician in a gardening colony, where a competition for the best Zlatý kořen vegetables is being prepared. Bob and Bobek enter the competition, but their gardening skills are not the best and the competition is fierce. And on top of that, all the crops start to disappear from the gardens of all the contestants. Can Bob and Bobek uncover the culprit? And who will finally win the contest for the Golden Root?

A documentary that breaks the taboo surrounding sexual assistance for people with disabilities and offers a sensitive insight into the intimate lives of people with disabilities.

The main character, Klára, can still be just as insecure and confused at forty as she was at eighteen, only it doesn't look so cute anymore. Her marriage ends overnight, and she finds herself once again in the unpredictable world of dating and dating mishaps. She's raising two daughters, trying to survive her eccentric mother's lifestyle, and on top of that, she starts getting advice from an amazing relationship coach and influencer. Up until this point, she had her life pretty much planned out, but now she's become self-taught.

Single mother Martina raised twin girls, one of whom was born blind and the other with polio, leaving her disabled. Both children are now adults, and disabled Jana would love to leave her mother and live on her own in institutional living. And she would also like to experience sex, perhaps with a paid assistant. The documentary offers a brutally unsentimental view into the life of an impoverished rural family with two permanently disabled members. It delicately captures both everyday and exceptional situations, focusing mainly on the personal, emotional and relationship problems between the protagonists.

About young people from ex-Yugoslavia, who live and work in Prague - "center of emigrant crosses". The story follows a young film director Gina, who is about to shoot her first feature film, but doesn't have the script or money. The only thing she is certain is that it has to be about love, true love. Before consciously finding the right story to tell, she begins to make a movie about her life and life of her closest friends. The involvement of a mafia spy, President Bush doll, Transvestite flat mate, an ex-boyfriend, a sclerotic grandmother and mafia boss, not only causes a lot of surprises, danger and broken hearts, but also emotional struggles and unexpected comical situations.

A perceptive portrait of Franz and Maria Gertsch, the studio of the artist, and his paintings and woodcuts.