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The Elementary School and (no) discipline




The story of Obecná škola (The Elementary School - in Czech) was written by Zděnek Svěrák who described his own experiences in the post-war Czechoslovakia. First as a pupil and later also as a teacher. He did it with humor, irony and nostalgia. A successful mix. 

Comedy about post-war Czechoslovakia

The story begins in 1945, after the World War II.  Ten-year-old boy Eda lives in one of the suburbs of Prague, in Czechoslovakia. He attends the elementary school and he belongs to a class with no discipline at all. Maxová, his female teacher gets a breakdown and is replaced by Igor, a reputed war hero. Despite his strict authoritarian methods, the boys soon become charmed by the man. Igor were successful if not the girls and their skirts…

The successful Svěrák family duo

That is the first film of the Svěrák family duo and the first on time passing and aging. With big history in the background. The next movie in this trilogy are Kolya (1996) and Empties (2007). All a kind of comedies and gentle dramas. The Elementary School (1991) was nominated for an Oscar as "Best Foreign Film" at the 1992 Academy Awards. Finally, few years later the statuette won Kolya. The Elementary School was the first non-documentary film directed by Jan Svěrák. We like the Svěrák father-son duo very much and hope to see their new movies.

Maria&Paul


MORE INFO

Director: Jan Svěrák 
Writer: Zděnek Svěrák 
Music: Jiři Svoboda
Runtime: 1h 40min
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Premiere: 1991

CAST

Václav Jakoubek - Eda Souček
Radoslav Budác – Tonda
Jan Triška – Igor Hnizdo
Zděnek Svěrák - František Souček
Libuse Safránková – Mrs. Součková
Rudolf Hrušínský – schoolmaster
Rudolf Hrušínský jr. – Tonda’s father
Eva Holubová – Tonda’s mother

Etykiety:

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