VLNY

State socialism reigns in Czechoslovakia; the totalitarian government is under the influence of the Kremlin in Moscow. Protagonist Tomáš works for Czechoslovak Radio, where his editor-in-chief is engaged in a fight against censorship. With the Prague Spring of 1968, change finally comes; people are now allowed to subscribe to other news services besides Soviet and domestic ones. Yet Moscow deems that the Prague reforms have gone too far. Tomáš is forced to cooperate by the secret police and fears for the safety of his teenage brother Pavel, who hands out anti-Soviet leaflets on the streets. When Warsaw Pact troops invade Czechoslovakia in August 1968, the new-found freedom is over. Outside, there are street battles and deaths. Tomáš and his colleagues continue to broadcast from underground however, documenting the events in several languages, for the local population as well as for listeners abroad.

In this film, director Jíří Mádl narrates these historical events from the perspective of protagonist Tomáš, who becomes increasingly politicised through his work on radio and, by extension, his experiences with censorship. In addition to the fictional characters, important personalities of the time make an appearance, such as Milan Weiner, editor-in-chief of Czechoslovak Radio's international department, or Alexander Dubček, politician and one of the leading figures of the Prague Spring. Mádl combines archive footage with newly-shot scenes with his cast, creating in the process an extremely authentic and gripping film.

As well as on Tomáš and Pavel, the focus of WAVES is on the history of Czechoslovak national radio and thus also on the importance of freedom of the press and freedom of opinion. Radio in Czechoslovakia already found itself playing a central role in current events as far back as 1945, during the Prague uprising and the liberation from German occupation. During the Warsaw Pact invasion in August 1968, it was the mouthpiece of the reform movement and continued to broadcast from underground after the national studio had been taken over by the occupying forces, in order to inform both the local population and the international community about the dramatic events of the occupation.

The film is particularly relevant against the backdrop of the current war in Ukraine. The invasion of the Warsaw Pact states in 1968 is still today perceived in the Czech Republic and Slovakia as having been directed by Russia. A national trauma that exerts a strong influence on current perspectives on Russia’s war of aggression.

Text: Charlotte Kühn

07.11.2024 | 10:00 | Glad-House (original version with English subtitles + simultaneous translation into German)

10.11.2024 | 18:00 | Stadthalle (original version with English subtitles + simultaneous translation into German)