Petr, Jiri and Ondrej are an unlikely trio of friends, an artist, a hockey player and a music trade. They survive communism by playing sports, drinking beer, chasing girls and listening to underground music. Bound together by their common desire for freedom, Petr, Jiri and Ondřej join the front lines of a student demonstration in the streets of Prague. Face-to-face with the riot police, they are forced into a monumental decision: stand up against the communist regime or give in to a system that has silenced their families for generations.

Inspired by true stories from the 'Velvet Revolution', Listopad is a timeless story of political and artistic courage, seen through the eyes of Petr, Jiri and Ondřej. The film brings to life the exhilarating days of November 1989 when, in spite of everything and everyone arrayed against them, students, artists and dissidents filled the streets of Prague to stand up for their hopes and dreams of freedom.

About the directors:
Griffin is an award winning cinematographer whose work includes Educating Peter (Academy Award 1992), Autism is a World (Academy Award nominee 2005), The Education of Shelby Knox (Sundance Cinematographer Award, 2005), Shut Up and Sing (Toronto Film Festival 2006) and Fighter (2001). He holds an MFA from Prague's Film and Television Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU) and is an Artist in Residence at the American University in Washington, DC.

Josef Lustig has collaborated on several films with Griffin in the Czech and Slovak Republics including Come Brother We Go To America, The Death of Ales Martinu, The Poets Stole the Nomads Shoes and The Immortal Balladier. Lustig holds a Ph.D from FAMU and Master's Degrees from New York University and American University.

About the screenwriter:
Arnošt Lustig is an acclaimed Czech author (A Prayer For Katerina Horowitzowa, Dita Saxova, Night and Hope, and Lovely Green Eyes) and emeritus professor of literature at American University. His writings and the classic Czech films adapted from them have informed an international audience about the horrors of evil and what people will do to survive. Lustig's awards and honors include a nomination of the National Book Award (1974), the Franz Kafka Prize (2008), and a nomination for the Man Booker prize (2009). He previously worked with Griffin on the film Fighter.

More information about the film: http://listopadfilm.com/index.html

Admission is free.

Location:
The Doyle Theater
2nd floor of the McKinley Building
School of Communication
American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20016