The Man on the Bridge

Showing his own original footage of Prague Spring, director Evald Schorm describes the atmosphere these days in 1968.

A film about the contrasts between Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria in 1968. A film that reveals the mechanisms of censorship and propaganda during communism. A film about how information about events in Czechoslovakia was distorted in Bulgaria.

This documentary study of the mechanisms that turn the gears of the tabloids is conducted by the unique figure Pavel Novotný. This editor-in-chief of one of the most widely read Czech media outlets of the time, providing news from the world of show business and human misfortune, gets straight to the point. Readership is a fetish, an absolute alibi for all invasions of privacy and every transgression of good ethics. Seen up close, the whole cluster of disreputable reports looks like a staged tableau. Before the eager eyes of an anxious public, celebrities willingly or unwillingly perform acts that the scrutiny of the all-powerful tabloid workers attributes racy significance to.

This episode from the Czech Journal series examines how a military spirit is slowly returning to our society. Attempts to renew military training or compulsory military service and in general to prepare the nation for the next big war go hand in hand with society’s fear of the Russians, the Muslims, or whatever other “enemies”. This observational flight over the machine gun nest of Czech militarism becomes a grotesque, unsettling military parade. It can be considered not only to be a message about how easily people allow themselves to be manipulated into a state of paranoia by the media, but also a warning against the possibility that extremism will become a part of the regular school curriculum.

Documentary filmmaker Jan Sikl came across several hours of footage showing the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in private film archives. 53 years later, historical memory awakens from a long slumber with this reconstruction of the occupation, a cinematic adventure of a truly archeological nature.

The Sykora family are only four people out of millions of Venezuelans that have recently escaped their collapsing country. They land in the Czech Republic, the country where Grandpa Jan was born, but also a place utterly strange to them. In a matter of months their savings have almost gone and job seeking becomes a nightmare. Again, the dream of just having a normal life starts to vanish. Will the family manage not to crumble along the way?

A visual essay about the 5 classic Giallo films by Italian director Sergio Martino.

An interview with Italian actress Silvia Collatina about her role in Lucio Fulci's "Murderock".

A featurette on the career of Italian director Armando Crispino.

Documentary about Mario Bava's film "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" and its impact on the Giallo genre.

An analysis of the critical themes in Dario Argento's 70s Giallo "Deep Red".

Dominik Hašek, Olympic gold medalist and two-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender, looks back on his life growing up in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia. His longest-tenured NHL team, the Buffalo Sabres, walk Hašek through his past to see how his love of hockey and the political and cultural influences of growing up in Pardubice molded him into one of the greatest goalies the sport has ever seen.

How incomprehensible would a higher intelligence find the plodding human species and the way it treats the Earth? And do Czechs differ in the way they care for nature?

Five Rings Films presents the inspiring story of how Czech Republic won gold at the first Olympics to feature professionals from the NHL.

An interview with actress Florinda Bolkan about her performances in the films "Don't Torture a Duckling" and "Lizard in a Woman's Skin".

An interview with Nicoletta Elmi about her days as a child actress.

Author Stephen Thrower analyzing the themes and characters of Mario Bava's proto-slasher "A Bay of Blood".

An interview portrait of the three Italian actresses Stefania Casini, Silvia Collatina & Barbara Magnolfi.

A video discussion about Lucio Fulci's classic Giallo "Don't Torture a Duckling".

A video essay about 1972 Giallo "Don't Torture a Duckling", focusing on accusations of misogyny against director Lucio Fulci.