Touha

What else to expect from Vojtěch Jasný, a man with a big heart, than a pure poetic film. The first thing that catches the eye after a few seconds is the rousing music by Svatopluk Havelka, which runs through the whole film. All four short stories are simple in plot, it's the atmosphere and visual experience that's important. In the first story, about a little boy waiting for his mother to arrive with his newborn baby sister, the camera conjures up beautiful images of wide meadows, billowing white sheets on a grassy hill, it's a visual delight. In the second story, the beautiful Jana Brejchová, the greatest young acting star of her generation, shines like a bright star, and it is her and the beautiful scenes of nature around the raging river that simply don't disappoint. The third story is probably the most ambitious in terms of plot, it’s about unfulfilled love at first sight, but under the surface Jasný lightly sketches the contradiction between the agricultural cooperative and the simple peasant woman who feels intensely they are bullying her. In the fourth story, an old mother and the sad eyes of a dog play a major role. So sad it almost smacks of kitsch, but beautiful. Essential, clear. And as the film begins with the birth of a human being, so it ends, the circle of life has come full circle. (02.06.2024)