This year’s rooftop cinema series revisits the 1990s in Czechoslovakia and Czechia — a time when freedom seemed to have no limits. A coming-of-age moment for both individuals and a country, the decade saw the rise of cult classics like “The Ride”, “The Idiot Returns”, “Buttoners”, “The Smoke”, "The Garden"… and more.
The Garden / dir. Martin Šulík / 1995 / poetic comedy, drama / Czechia, Slovakia, France / Slovak with English subtitles / 99 minutes
TICKETS
7:00 PM – ROOFTOP BAR OPEN Cocktails, beer, wine, non-alcoholic drinks, savory and sweet treats available for purchase. Curated by Natasha Corbie and Dhira Rauch.
8:00 PM – FILM Screening begins at dusk.
This gently absurd and lyrical film by Martin Šulík tells the story of Jakub, a man in his thirties going through a personal crisis. Entangled in a relationship with a married woman named Tereza, he feels burned out at work, and struggles to communicate with his father, with whom he shares an apartment. On impulse, he retreats to his late grandfather’s abandoned countryside house. He has no idea that this stay—meant to be brief—will turn into an unexpected journey of self-discovery after he encounters a mysterious young woman.
The Garden stands out for its painterly cinematography, subtle humor, and dreamlike atmosphere that blurs the line between reality and fantasy. The lead role is played by Roman Luknár, known from the Czech Television series Neviditelní. Marián Labuda received a Czech Lion for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the father. The film was awarded with six Czech Lions in total as well as the Prix Italia.
