Jiří Štěpnička

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On New Year's Eve in 1944, two men meet in the middle of a snowstorm in a cottage cut off from civilization - a widower, Petr Bernat, and an SS officer, Konrad Neumann. The only thing the two men have in common is their Sudeten origins. At first, their conversation revolves around mundane topics, but as midnight approaches, they begin to address more pressing issues. A tragic past is revealed and it becomes clear that tonight will be a fateful night for Bernat and Neumann.

Poet, performer, and local legend Eva Hrubá is a woman of contradictions, sparking both devotion and public outcry. This documentary dives into her dual existence of vibrant joy and silent suffering. Moving beyond her reputation as the "eccentric lady on a purple bike," the film explores how she transforms loneliness into art and pain into a shared celebration of life. The film explores the world of a remarkable woman, seeking the boundary between her persona as an author and her performance.

A little girl and a socialist orphanage. It is a strict children’s institution. How to overcome fears, insecurity and loneliness? To do this, the girl creates another self to talk to and argue with. And, of course, the dream of America where everything is beautiful and good. Where her father lives and waits for her. A girl and her foster family. There’s plenty of everything, but it doesn’t feel right. Emma’s trials don’t end there. Again and again, she must find the strength to hope, the stamina to live.

In the former Czechoslovakia, 1950s, police captain Hakl investigates a jewelry robbery. An opened safe deposit leads to a known burglar. What seems an easy case soon starts to tangle. When he is called off the case, he continues on his own. The investigation leads him onto thin ice. Can he beat a stronger enemy and save his family and his own life?

A fairy tale of three brothers who try to save a princess kidnapped by an evil wizard.

A story about a young medical school student and his adventures.

A crazy comedy from the high fashion modeling environment in the style of The Devil Wears Prada and Zoolander tells the story of two rival modeling agencies led by two icons of the Czech fashion scene, former friends, but for 40 years implacable rivals. In 1967, both participated in the Miss Czechoslovakia competition, but only one won and the other could not bear the defeat. Since then these two ladies, by now already of certain age, have had a brush with one another and have done spiteful things to each other. And they have been vying with each other in finding a new Eva Herzigová so that they could make a long nose at the other from international fashion catwalks. When beautiful young Martina appears, whose beauty literally takes everyone's breath away, they start fighting to get her into their "barn". Who will win? Is this fight going to deepen their rivalry? Or are these two quarreling "grandmothers" going finally to bury the hatchet and to renew their friendship?

Captain Vašátko of the criminal police and Horác, a painter, bohemian, and amateur detective, are searching for the murderer of Daniela Jásková, an emancipated young woman who excelled at her job and also excelled at changing lovers. When she is found strangled in her apartment, Vašátko's team begins an investigation. They also focus on the victim's sister, Alena Kášová, who did not like Daniela very much and resented her ability to win over every man. Suspicion also falls on Alena's ex-husband, the sculptor Káš, whom Horác has known since his studies at the academy.

A New Year's Eve television variety show from late 1979.

Two friends set out on a journey from Ostrava to Prague to claim a winning lottery ticket — but they're not the only ones looking to cash in.

It is 5 May 1945 and the uprising against the hated German occupiers has broken out in Prague. The Czech guards open the gate of the Pankrác prison to allow the prisoners to escape en masse. Many of them are shot dead by the German guards but young Ruda (Jaromír Hanzlík) manages to run away. He is taken care of by one of the Prague fighters, concierge Kytka. Kytka hides him in the flat of the house's owner where only the young maid Karla (Jana Brejchová) is left, ordering her to take care of Ruda.

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Sunday in September 1977, a celebration of the Miners Day. The old Hepnar is sitting at the cemetery and is recalling events from ten years ago. That time the representative of the ministry Barvír announced at the miners meeting that mining in the mines would decrease. He reasoned this decision by the fact the deposits of coal are almost used up. The boss of the mine and most of the miners protested. Barvír did not take their critical objections into account. He announced at the communist district meeting the closure of the business as the mine according to new economic principles did not prosper.

Shoemaker Číč is a skilled craftsman, but a great mischievous and riddle-teller. Such that he tricks not only the king, but also Lucifer himself. He earns fame and wealth by doing so, but he hurts his poor neighbor Karafiátek. But still, a bad conscience begins to gnaw at him. He returns to hell and this time his own fate is at stake. Whether he lost to the devil or won over him, you will only find out from the cheerful fairy tale.

Car transport of the locomotive is difficult, as the cargo is bulky. The three-man crew of the tractor therefore experiences many difficulties on the long journey across Bohemia...

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Three intrepid young men set off into an enchanted forest to free a captive girl. We can't reveal how their adventurous trip will turn out yet, but the names of the main characters in the fairy tale suggest that it will be a journey of joy rather than horror!

In 1947 by the Beskid mountains, the traces of war still linger, destroyed tanks dispersed throughout the farmland creating an eerie backdrop. This film follows a ten-year-old boy and the strange visions he encounters, his world of fantasy exacerbated with ample time, space, and a lack of companionship or guidance. We see the adults that influence and dominate his life, for better or for worse. Surreal and packed with an excellent study of human emotions and motivations compounded by their rural, isolated vacuum of a town, this is a timeless and severely underrated film from a brilliant Czech director.

This fairy tale, based on an old French legend, takes place in the Middle Ages at the court of King Pepin. The king wants to marry and, on the advice of Duke Akilon, decides to court the Hungarian princess Bertha. Although the princess has a physical flaw—her feet are too large—Pepin does not care much about that. He remembers how he was friends with Bertha as a little boy and even then admired her bravery. Duke Akilon therefore sets off for Hungary to ask for Princess Bertha's hand in marriage for his king. However, he has his own plan and has no idea what will thwart it.

In the era of normalization, even seemingly buried agent stories came back. This one takes place in the immediate post-war years and tells the story of the discovery of a spy network that an American diplomat was spinning on Czech territory. He was unsuccessful: first, a close associate, who was proven to have collaborated with the Nazis during the war, committed suicide, followed by the intervention of the vigilant Security Service. However, the fleeing Americans were joined "in return" by a Czechoslovak agent... This naive adventure story could hardly be taken seriously. The book, which served as the basis for the film, was written based on actual events that took place in 1948.

The young Prince Charles (Jaromír Hanzlík), the future King of his country Charles IV, is being educated at the French court in the company of his fiancée Blanche (Daniela Kolárová). One day he receives a summons from his father John of Luxembourg (Milos Kopecký) in Italy. He leaves for Italy accompanied by a deputation from Bohemia. On the way the prince's company fights a battle with armed Milanese against heavy odds. Thanks to Charles's perspicacity, the prince's almost naked soldiers win through. In Lucca in Italy Charles joins his father, and here he experiences an amorous adventure and escapes from the traps laid by the Italian rebels.

A communist journalist from Prague is sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp.

"A documentary anatomy of mass murder for one monitor and 34 talking heads." These are the words the filmmakers use in the credits to describe their project, which thematises the execution of more than 260 Carpathian Germans, Hungarians and Slovaks by Czechoslovak army soldiers near Přerov in June 1945. The “massacre at Přerov” is made present through a minimalist dramatisation of the interrogation footage of direct participants, eyewitnesses, and others. It is as if the characters of ancient theatre were entering the Zoom “stage” and delivering a tragic message of fear, hatred and disinterest across the chasm of time.

The waterman Puškvorec fell in love with the pretty gingerbread woman Rozárka and it took him a while to understand that happiness awaited him in the pond alongside the gingerbread woman Leknička...

Three soldiers desert and take refuge in an ancient, crumbling castle where three veiled maidens welcome them with a sumptuous feast, on the sole condition that they neither lift a veil nor lay a hand on their hosts during the night. Only one, Jakub, keeps his vow and is rewarded by a freed princess and a magical token that grants him three extra lives.

Pavlata, the director of an educational institution for juvenile offenders, will push for the early release of Pepík Adamec, whom he respects for his sincere efforts and good work record. However, the boy bears the dishonest and dishonourable behaviour of adults in his new job and in his family.

A divorced single mother romances a young slaughterhouse worker, must to the chagrin of her ex-husband.

A real story about finding the most famous non-soldier of a college whose life was in such shit when he had to start filling up all the toilet cabins with them. Officer Arnošt will do anything to trick them and solve this seemingly banal and bizarre case.

Princess Verunka's marriage is supposed to save the kingdom, which has been impoverished by the crazy ideas of its ruler. And she has several suitors! The poet Alexander Alexandrovich, who would make even Pushkin pale with envy, the two-headed baron, military leader and composer Wajsman, the mysterious Marquis, who rules with the magic of his mother, the queen of death Morana, and the eccentric inventor Sir Klevr. Can Ondra, a boy who longs to become a whitewater swimmer, be their worthy opponent?

The relationship between a mother and daughter living in a village, the confrontation of two lives - the life that is ending and the life that is beginning. The daughter is not a mere observer of her mother's life, but rather watches it, criticizes it, warns her mother against loving a person who does not deserve her. But her actions are futile and her mother's life, her mother's fate, becomes a warning to the daughter.

In 1547, young knight Petr Pětipeský is sent to the remote village of Urbach to oversee the construction of a bridge that promises access to ‘hidden mineral’ wealth. When his beloved Alma vanishes under mysterious circumstances, Petr defies local superstition and ventures into the shadowy workshops of Fichtelberg Mountain. There, he confronts strange figures and uncovers secrets that test his courage and beliefs.

Czech nobleman Petr Vok of Rozmberk (Milos Kopecký) is no longer so young, but his amatory adventures continue to arouse the envy of men and the indignation of respectable ladies. In his "female retinue" at the chateau in Bechyne he has twelve comely girls, but he still manages to seduce the miller's wife and the maid. Lord Vok is in great financial difficulties. His elder brother Vilém advises him to marry a rich woman. Petr surprises him by announcing his intention to marry the very young Katerina of Ludanice.

This romantic fairy tale is based on a story by German writer Theodor Storm. It tells the story of two young children, Kristian and Elke, who, thanks to their bravery and honesty, manage to overcome the Fire Lord, the evil Iris, to free the Rain Fairy and save the whole Earth from drought and thirst.

At the funeral of his schoolmate, the nearly-fifty-year old architect Jirí Mánek (Václav Voska) meets his former close acquaintance - physician Jarmila (Blanka Bohdanová). They both are still single. Jarmila has recently returned to Prague after years of work on the frontier. Jirí leaves for a business trip. As a conservationist, he is to grant permission for an adaptation of a Baroque château to office spaces. On the road, a pretty young hitchhiker named Eva (Ida Rapaicová) stops him. Eva is Slovak and her spontaneous behavior enchants Jirí. He thus does not mind making a short detour and takes Eva all the way to the luxurious cottage of her parents. A romance develops between the two people, so different in age and temperament.

A smiling holiday story about an old car named Cleopatra and its four-member, all-male crew...

A baleful limping man walks through Prague. He is Asmodeus (Juraj Herz), the fiend of lustfulness, entertaining himself by putting together by magic couples of lovers. He only fails at the swimming pool. Zuzana (Jana Sulcová), the good-looking blonde, ignores the men whom the devil foists off onto her. She loves Honza (Václav Neckár) and the boy shares her feelings. The fiend is annoyed by the couple and tries to provoke a row. He sends heavy rain to force them into a hotel and then warns Zuzana's father by phone, but the young lovers manage to get out in time. Then the obstinate Asmodeus takes Honza in his sleep to the Institute for Emotional Disorders, where he shows him the ugly sides of love - hysteria, voyeurism, fetishism, suicide attempts...

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A bunch of old friends reunite for the start of the rail tunnel construction. The miner Vojta Balvín is a dedicated worker, but at the same time a stubborn man. It is only a work accident that clarifies relations between him and the other workers...

The top sport was also closely monitored in the communist era, and officials were naturally bothered that the pentathlon team failed to win the World Championships. But the measures that should have ensured redress were caught up in a web of behind-the-scenes machinations that backfired on the athletes themselves, their endurance and their family backgrounds. While the film has critical ambitions and wants to reveal much of what should have remained hidden from the public eye, it is a rather clumsy and schematic view, not very convincing in terms of realisation.

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A fairy tale about a magic key that can be used to control time. How many times a day do we think about time and would like to do something with it - if only we had the power! Fortunately, we don't have it, because who knows what would happen if we could control time. However, in fairy tales, everything is possible and the magic key that a watchmaker's journeyman received from an inconspicuous grandfather will convince you of this.