A comedy film about a Czech homeowners' association meeting is making its way to four arthouses which present foreign films to American audiences, on both coasts of the U.S.
An excellent comedy and winner of three Czech Lions directed by Jiří Havelka will by presented by these four US cinemas:
Friday, August 18-24 at the Quad Cinema, New York (times and tickets here: https://quadcinema.com/film/the-owners/) Get 3 USD off by presenting this coupon at the Box Office in Quad Cinema!
Friday, August 25 at Laemmle's Royal, Los Angeles a¨nd Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago
Friday, September 1 at Opera Plaza, San Francisco and The Clairidge, Montclair, NJ (until 9/14)
Friday, September 8 at The Hitchcock, Santa Barbara, CA
September 13-17, 2023 at Boedecker Theater@The Dairy Arts Center, Boulder, CO
September 19-21, 2023 at The Guild Cinema, Albuquerque, NM
More information about the film screenenings here.
The Owners
Comedy / Drama. Directed by Jiří Havelka. Czechia, 2019, 97 min
The film about a Czech homeowners' association meeting is making its way to two arthouses which present foreign films to American audiences, on both coasts of the U.S. Twelve homeowners, each with a unique agenda, must come to a consensus on the future of their building during a residents' association meeting. The idealistic Mrs. Zahradkova (played by Tereza Ramba) passionately advocates for saving the crumbling old house and appeals to the newlyweds who have just moved in. On the other hand, the bureaucratic Mrs. Roubickova insists on strictly following the meeting's rules. Amidst the chaos, Mrs. Prochazkova and her business partner are solely focused on increasing their property's value, while the grousy pensioner Mr. Kubat tries to sabotage all decisions. To add fuel to the fire, the gossipmonger Horvathova (expertly portrayed by Dagmar Havlova) stirs up trouble, making the situation even more precarious. As the meeting spirals out of control, enter the slick businessmen, the Cermak brothers, who step in to save the day.
With authentic characters and a perfect cast, the film's excellent script, based on the director's personal experience, delivers a poignant and humorous portrayal of contemporary Czech society. This compelling comedy will have you laughing one moment and feeling chills the next, all while keeping you enthralled throughout.
Director Jiří Havelka said about the film: "The Owners was created as a small film with medium ambitions the response to which surprised us all. Of course, it's a pretty common concept, a model situation where several characters meeting in a confined space, it could have ended up in the comedy of manners genre, but I think it managed to balance the stylization and believability to the point that most viewers see themselves in the film. Or rather they think to themselves "That's like in my building" while not seeing themselves exactly. We're always laughing at other people rather than at ourselves. The others are the bad ones. It could have been an existential horror film or an absurdist slapstick. But in the end, we went for the civilian position.
For me, it was therapy to a certain extent. For ten years I lived in a house on the very top floor, fighting to have an elevator put in, and my frustration eventually reached a point where I could either kill myself or move out. Move out and shoot it as a film. I chose the latter. Of course, the film is more relatable in Central Europe or, let's say, in the "Visegrad" area, as the legacy of communism and especially the normalization mindset is personified in several characters there, but the concept of living together on the same planet is (un)fortunately or valid everywhere in the world. We all share the same house. And all we have left for survival is solidarity and empathy."
Interview with director Jiří Havelka by film programmer Madeleine Mullett (Made in Prague festival 2020):
