The film is based on the writing of Bohumil Hrabal and his childhood in Nymburk’s brewery in the 1920s. Enjoy the humorous tale and savor a nice Pilsner brew at this local Czech restaurant while watching the classic flick. (1981, 93 min., in Czech with English subtitles) 

About the Director:

Jiří Menzel is an award-winning director, screenwriter, actor, and theater director. He studied filmmaking at the famous Czech National Film Academy, FAMU, in Prague. Like Forman, he was one of the leaders of the Czech New Wave. Most notably, Menzel won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for his first feature-length film Closely Watched Trains (Ostře sledované vlaky, 1967).

With the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact forces in 1968, and the period of so-called ‘normalization’ that followed, he was one of the first directors to be barred from filmmaking. Menzel’s controversial film Larks on a String (Skřivánci na niti, 1969) was banned by the government, but released twenty years later, in 1990, after the collapse of the communist regime. The film won the Golden Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival.

In 1986, his film My Sweet Little Village (Vesničko má středisková, 1985) was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film (1987). Other renowned works include Capricious Summer (Rozmarné léto, 1968), Cutting It Short (Postřižiny, 1981) and most recently I Serve the King of England (Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále, 2006).

Menzel is a member of the Czech Film and Television Academy, the European Film Academy and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He has received many prestigious awards, among them the French order of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and the Akira Kurosawa Prize for a lifetime’s achievement at the San Francisco Film Festival.   

About the Series:
This marks the third year of the film and beer series at Bistro Bohem. The focus of the films for this year is Czech humor which is a very specific part of Czech culture. On the third Tuesday of every month from January - December 2014 (unless otherwise specified), Bistro Bohem will feature Czech comedies. All films will screen in Czech with English subtitles. Each screening includes one free beer as well as an introduction from a representative from the Embassy of the Czech Republic. All screenings are subject to change.

Admission is free.

Location:
Bistro Bohem
600 Florida Ave., Washington, DC
www.bistrobohem.com

Czech Comedy Classics:
January 28...............Anton Špelec, Sharp-Shooter | Anton Špelec, ostrostřelec
February 18.............School is the Foundation of Life | Škola základ života
March 18.................Eva Fools Around | Eva tropí hlouposti
April 15................... The Emperor’s Baker – The Baker’s Emperor | Císařův pekař - Pekařův Císař
May 20....................Lemonade Joe | Limonádový Joe
June 17....................Who Wants to Kill Jessi? | Kdo chce zabít Jessii?
July 15.....................The Firemen's Ball | Hoří, má panenko
August 19................Man about Town | Světáci
September 16..........Cutting It Short | Postřižiny
October 21..............Golet in the Valley | Golet v údolí
November 18..........Waiter, Scarper! | Vrchní, prchni
December 16...........I Enjoy the World with You | S tebou mě baví svět