Ice hockey is a Czech national obsession, and the country's victory over Russia in the 1969 World Championships, the year following the Soviet invasion, is a celebrated moment in its history. In Marek Najbrt's black comedy, the heroic exploits take place only on a black and white tv screen as a group of representative misfits gather and watch the game in a desolate village on the Czech border. While consisting of recognisable types, Najbrt's bleak portrait reveals a world of alcoholism, debt, racism, bigotry, and infidelity that trails behind the dreams of nationalism and bears little resemblance to the fantasies of the new consumerism. A clever and multi-levelled film, it provides a sharp antidote to the reconciliatory charms of the conventional Czech comedy.
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Cast
4 people
Marek Najbrt Director · Benjamin Tuček Screenplay Robert Geisler Screenplay
First release April 1, 2004 · Produced in Czechia · Production Česká televize, Barrandov Studio
Production
Negativ
Production
Česká televize
Production
Barrandov Studio
Production
Czechia
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Languages
Original title
Mistři
Original language
Czech
Spoken on screen
Czech
Release dates
Czechia · April 1, 2004
Theatrical
No release date listed for United States.
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