Smoke

Čechoslovakia 1990 / 89 min. /  DCP & Blu-ray

Director → Tomáš Vorel / Screenplay → Lumír Tuček, Tomáš Vorel / Director of Photography → Martin Duba / Set Designer → Michal Krška / Editor→ Jiří Brožek / Sound → Tomáš Janeček, Jiří Moudrý, Jiří Kříž / Music → Michal Vích / Cast → Jan Slovák, Lucie Zedníčková, Jaroslav Dušek, Šimon Caban a další

Tomáš Vorel’s comedy of cult status is sometimes dubbed as “totalitarian-era musical”. The protagonist of Smoke, an idealistic young civil engineer, embarks on his first job appointment full of hope and enthusiasm. However, the reality of the late-socialist workplace, ironically depicted in the film, promptly disabuses him of his idealism. The film’s radical stylization is in large part due to the contribution of actors from five Prague-based experimental theatre ensembles, whose sarcasm, sense of parody and ironic take on serious societal issues have been winning particularly young audiences for more than three decades.