Catalogue of Czech Television Programmes
A drama focusing on the age-old conflict between faith, family and love in which every decision is hard. The latest film from veteran director Karel Kachyňa. The lyric unfolds in Sub-Carpathian Ukraine in the 1930s. An enclave of Jews living there rigorously adheres to their ancient customs, religious rituals and traditions. Among them lives a young woman, Hanele Safarova. When her rich father gradually loses all his property Hanele irrevocably becomes a poor marriage match. She thus forsakes her home and leaves for work in the big city. There she meets and falls in love with the young and kind Ivo Karadzic. Ivo is also originally a Jew but has become a non-believer and freethinker. He asks her to marry him but this is out of the question for a girl strictly raised in her religion. For love, however, Hanele manages to break away from the faith of her ancestors and to even break with her family. But her decision also brings about a split with the entire community which then makes her feel the horror of damnation.
35mm | 92' | © 1999
director(s): Karel Kachyňa
producer(s): Czech Television
scriptwriter(s): Jana Dudková
director of photography: Petr Hojda
cast: Lada Jelínková, Miroslav Noga, Jiří Ornest, Táňa Fischerová; Milan Lasica, Hanuš Bor, Václav Chalupa, Stanislav Zindulka
original language: Czech
other data: Festival Awards
The Best Film Jewish Film Festival, Sao Paulo 2000