The Ear (Great Restorations)

Introduction to the film in English | start of the film: 18:30.

The Ear

Ucho Tchécoslovaquie 1969-90 | Karel Kachyna | vostEN | 94' | digital | Cast : Jirina Bohdalová, Radoslav Brzobohaty, Gustav Opocensky

After coming home from a Party gathering one night, a Czech official becomes convinced that he is about to be the subject of a political purge and tries to do damage control, while also dealing with his turbulent marriage.

« A remarkable thriller that explores the paranoia of a country due to the omnipresent nature of its government while also being a compelling domestic drama driven by the strength of its characters. The fact that we, the viewers, are as intrusive to the life of these people as the dreaded “ear” makes for an interesting voyeuristic experience that’s hard to look away from. » (Czech Film Review)

« Suppressed as soon as production finished, Karel Kachyna’s The Ear now resurfaces in a glorious 4K restoration. Procházka’s dramatic masterstroke was to stage much of the film in the presumably grace-and-favour house that Ludvík shares with his wife, and to have as many thematic nods to Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? as to the universe of Franz Kafka. It remains a brilliant analysis of how political power is maintained and enforced – and not just in a totalitarian situation. » (BFI)

Org.: Cinémathèque