''Cosy Dens'' () is a 1999 Czech film directed by
Jan Hřebejk. It is loosely based on the novel ''
Hovno Hoří'' ("shit on fire") by
Petr Šabach. Readers of ''
Reflex
In biology, a reflex, or reflex action, is an involuntary, unplanned sequence or action and nearly instantaneous response to a stimulus.
Reflexes are found with varying levels of complexity in organisms with a nervous system. A reflex occurs ...
'' magazine voted it as the best Czech film in 2011. ''Cosy Dens'' was screened at the 1999
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October.
The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Festi ...
.
Synopsis
''Cosy Dens'' is a bittersweet
coming-of-age story
In genre studies, a coming-of-age story is a genre of literature, theatre, film, and video game that focuses on the growth of a protagonist from childhood to adulthood, or "coming of age". Coming-of-age stories tend to emphasize dialogue or interna ...
set in the months from Christmas 1967 up to the 1968
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring (; ) was a period of liberalization, political liberalization and mass protest in
the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. It began on 5 January 1968, when reformist Alexander Dubček was elected Secretary (title), First Secre ...
. Teenager Michal Šebek has a crush on his upstairs neighbour, Jindřiška Krausová. Michal's family is led by a stubborn army officer who is a firm supporter of the
Communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
system and who believes that Communist technology will eventually triumph over "Western imperialist capitalism', while Jindřiška's father is an ardent foe of the Communists and a war hero, who has been imprisoned several times because of his outspoken opposition to the regime. He believes that "the Bolsheviks have a year left at most, maybe two". In contrast, the younger generation could not care less for politics. Instead, Michal sports a
Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
-style mop-top, while Elien, whose parents live in the United States, runs a local film group specialising in
Hollywood and pre-war French films. Jindřiška eventually becomes Elien's girlfriend. After a wedding that unites the families, the film ends with the news of the invasion of Czechoslovakia by
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...
troops.
Trivia
The Czech title is a plural and diminutive of the word "pelech", literally meaning animal den or burrow. It is used figuratively for a cosy place to sleep.
Cast
* Michael Beran as Michal Šebek
* Ondřej Brousek as Elien
*
Miroslav Donutil as Mr. Šebek
*
Jaroslav Dušek as Saša Mašláň
*
Eva Holubová as Eva (teacher)
*
Boris Hybner as Magician
* Sylvie Koblížková as Uzlinka Šebková
*
Jiří Kodet
Jiří Kodet (6 December 1937 – 25 June 2005) was a Czech actor. He appeared in more than ninety films between 1951 and 2003. His mother Jiřina Steimarová and his daughter Barbora Kodetová are also actresses.
Selected filmography
Refere ...
as Mr. Kraus
* Jiří Krejčík as Doctor Stárek
* Marek Morvai as Petr
*
Kristýna Nováková as Jindřiška Krausová
*
Bolek Polívka as Uncle
*
Simona Stašová as Mrs. Šebková
*
Emília Vášáryová as Mrs. Krausová
*
Stella Zázvorková as Grandmother
Soundtrack
The soundtrack to ''Cosy Dens'' was released in April 1999 and contains snippets of dialogue in addition to songs.
#
Blue Effect – "Slunečný hrob"
# Miroslav Kaman,
Jaroslav Dušek – "Dvě dávky"
#
Václav Neckář – "Tu kytaru jsem koupil kvůli tobě"
#
Bolek Polívka – "Nebe na zemi"
#
Kristýna Nováková, Michael Beran, Ondřej Brousek – "Kozačky..."
#
Petr Novák &
Flamengo – "Povídej"
# Kristýna Nováková, Michael Beran – "Něco jako příbuzný"
#
Waldemar Matuška – "Pojď se mnou, lásko má"
#
Emília Vášáryová,
Jiří Kodet
Jiří Kodet (6 December 1937 – 25 June 2005) was a Czech actor. He appeared in more than ninety films between 1951 and 2003. His mother Jiřina Steimarová and his daughter Barbora Kodetová are also actresses.
Selected filmography
Refere ...
– "Dávám bolševikovi rok"
#
Hana Hegerová – "Čerešně"
#
Miroslav Donutil, Bolek Polívka, Silvie Koblížková – "Nerozbitná sklenička"
# Kučerovci – "Ajo mama"
# Miroslav Donutil, Michael Beran – "Gagarinův bratr"
# Kučerovci – "La mulher rendeira"
#
Stella Zázvorková,
Simona Stašová, Miroslav Donutil, Bolek Polívka – "Maršál Malinovskij"
#
Judita Čeřovská – "Je po dešti"
#
Eva Holubová, Jaroslav Dušek, Marek Morvai-Javorský – "Vyděržaj, pijaněr"
# Václav Neckář – "Lékořice"
#
Emília Vášáryová, Kristýna Nováková, Jiří Kodet – "Noky"
#
Karel Gott – "Santa lucia"
# Miroslav Donutil, Bolek Polívka, Jiří Kodet – "Kde udělali soudruzi z NDR chybu?"
# Waldemar Matuška – "Mrholí"
# Eva Holubová, Jaroslav Dušek, Marek Morvai-Javorský – "Hoří hovno...?"
# Karel Gott &
Olympic – "Trezor"
# Jiří Kodet – "Proletáři všech zemí..."
#
The Matadors – "Get Down from the Tree"
#
The Soulmen – "Baby Do Not Cry"
# The Soulmen – "I Wish I Were"
# Blue Effect – "Snakes"
# Miroslav Donutil, Bolek Polívka – "Průměrná ženská"
# Blue Effect – "Sluneční hrob"
References
External links
*
*
*
Cosy Dens' at
Eurochannel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosy Dens
1999 films
Films set in 1967
Films set in 1968
Czech coming-of-age films
Films directed by Jan Hřebejk
Prague Spring
Communism in fiction
Films set in Prague
Films set in Czechoslovakia
Czech Lion Awards winners (films)
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in popular culture
1990s Czech-language films
1990s coming-of-age films