''Přítelkyně z domu smutku'' ( is a 1992 four-part Czech miniseries starring Ivana Chýlková. It was based on a
book of the same name by
Eva Kantůrková. The book has autobiographical features - the author was imprisoned for almost a year in the detention prison Prague-Ruzyně when she was accused of a crime of subversion of the republic. In the end, she was released and the trial never took place (it was just another of the Communist regime's tricks to keep people inconvenient to it in check).
In the series, the main character does not directly bear the author's name. Instead, she is referred to as Mrs. Marta. Series was awarded at the MTF in Cannes by the Grand Silver Prize in the series category and by the Grand Gold Prize for the acting performance of Ivana Chylková.
The series, filmed in an authentic prison environment, has episodes: 1. House of Sorrow. 2. The Andes. 3. Helga. 4. Girlfriend from the house of sorrow.
The story depicts life in a remand prison and the fate of female inmates – why they got into prison, what crime they committed, if they committed any at all, what kind of environment they come from, etc. Their purely criminal offenses contrast with the "criminal activity" of the main character, who goes to prison she got only for publishing her books abroad, but which the other female inmates think is a big case against them.
Both the book and the series describe in detail the author's feelings in prison; in the series, more emphasis is placed on describing the interrogations with the investigator. However, through the description of individual characters and their fates and behavior after imprisonment, the reality of life under socialism in the 1970s and 1980s in the Czechoslovak Republic, including the unequal position of women in society and the manipulation of the truth by law enforcement agencies, is presented in detail.
Cast
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Ivana Chýlková
Ivana Chýlková (born 27 September 1963) is a Czech actress. She appeared in more than eighty films since 1983.
In 1985, she graduated from DAMU
The Department of Dramatic Theatre (, abbreviated DAMU) is one of three departments at the Ac ...
– Marta
*
Veronika Žilková
Veronika Žilková (born 16 October 1961 in Prague) is a Czech actress.
She played the part of Božena Horáková in the 2000 Czech film, '' Little Otik'' also known as '' Otesánek''. In 1997 she received the Czech Lion Award as the best su ...
– prison guard
*
Yvetta Blanarovičová
Yvetta Blanarovičová (born 24 September 1963) is a Slovak actress and singer. At the 1994 Thalia Awards she won the category of Best Actress in an Opera, Opereta or Musical, for her performance in the musical ''My Fair Lady''.
Selected filmog ...
– Majka
*
Aňa Geislerová – Líba
*
Pavel Nový
Pavel Nový (born 5 September 1948) is a Czech actor. He has appeared in more than one hundred films since 1962.
Selected filmography
References
External links
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1948 births
Living people
Male actors from Plzeň
Czech male film act ...
– Marta's husband
*
František Řehák
František () is a masculine Czech and Slovak given name. It is a cognate of Francis, Francisco, François and Franz. It can be also surname (feminine: Františková). Notable people with the name include:
Given name Arts
* Frank Daniel (Franti ...
– priest
*
Jaroslav Šmíd – prison guard
*
Michal Dlouhý
Michal (; ; ) was, according to the first Book of Samuel, a princess of the United Kingdom of Israel; the younger daughter of King Saul, she was the first wife of David (), who later became king, first of Judah, then of all Israel, making ...
– investigator
*
Bohuslav Čáp – Majka's father
*
Blažena Holišová
Blažena Holišová (11 July 1930 – 7 April 2011) was a Czech actress. She starred in the 1969/1970 film ''Witchhammer'' under director Otakar Vávra.
Holisová died on 7 April 2011. She was 80 years old.
Partial filmography
* ''Skola otcu ...
– Majka's mother
*
Václav Vydra
*
Otakar Brousek ml. – prisoner
*
Michaela Kuklová
Michaela (Hebrew מיכאלה) is a female given name. It is a female form of the Hebrew name Michael (מִיכָאֵל), which means "Who is like God".
As of 2008, it was 357th in rank for newborn girls in the United States, and 325th in Engla ...
– Evička
*
Ilona Svobodová
''Ilona'' is a feminine given name used primarily in Hungary and Finland, as well as in other parts of Central and Eastern Europe.
The name Ilona is the Hungarian form of the Greek name Helenē (Ἑλένη), which is commonly interpreted to mean ...
– prison physician
*
Jiřina Bohdalová
Jiřina Bohdalová (born 3 May 1931) is a Czech actress. She played over 200 film roles during her career and is among the most popular Czech actresses. For her lifelong contribution to Czech film and theatre, she has received several awards and s ...
– Helenka
*
Helena Růžičková
Helena Růžičková (13 June 1936 – 4 January 2004) was a Czechs, Czech actress. She was known for her characteristic corpulent figure and comedic talents. She became popular especially thanks to her roles in Jaroslav Papoušek's ''Homolka'' co ...
– Helga
References
External links
Official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Přítelkyně z domu smutku
1992 television series debuts
Czechoslovak television series
Czech Television original programming
Czech drama television series
Czech television miniseries