Czech films to watch before visiting Prague
A short list of Czech films that show you the country, its humour and its history, with what each one is about.
The short version
- Start with films that show Czech humour: Closely Watched Trains, The Fireman's Ball and Cosy Dens.
- Add one or two from the experimental strand, such as Daisies and Alice.
- Subtitled copies can be hard to find, so check libraries, festivals and legitimate streaming services.
On this page 7 sections
Czech films are a quick route to the national character: dry, sceptical, sentimental when you least expect it and allergic to pomposity. A handful of titles will tell you more about a Czech dinner-table argument than a guidebook can.
The comedies of ordinary life
Closely Watched Trains (1966), directed by Jiří Menzel from a novella by Bohumil Hrabal, is set at a small railway station during the Second World War. It is funny, gentle, then suddenly serious. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1968, and it is probably the single best way in.
The Fireman's Ball (1967), by Miloš Forman, is a comedy about a small-town firemen's party that goes wrong. It was read as political satire when it came out. It is also simply funny.
Cosy Dens (Pelíšky, 1999) follows two neighbouring families as the political events of 1968 pile up outside. Czech television audiences love it, and you'll hear lines from it quoted. It helps to read about the Prague Spring first.
Kolya (1996), directed by Jan Svěrák, is about a middle-aged musician and a Russian child in late-communist Prague. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1997.
The experimental strand
Daisies (Sedmikrásky, 1966), directed by Věra Chytilová, follows two young women who decide that, since the world is spoiled, they will be spoiled too. It is playful, chaotic and deliberately provocative, and a New Wave landmark; the context is in our guide to Czech cinema history.
Alice (Něco z Alenky, 1988), by Jan Švankmajer, mixes live action and stop-motion to retell Lewis Carroll in a disturbing, tactile way. It is not a children's film.
The historical and poetic
Marketa Lazarová (1967), directed by František Vláčil, is a medieval epic of feuding families. It is demanding, visual and not easy to find, but it rewards patience.
The Shop on Main Street (1965) is a drama about the Second World War in a Slovak town. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1966 and deals with the persecution of Jews, so it sits well beside a visit to the Jewish Museum.
The Christmas favourite
Three Wishes for Cinderella (Tři oříšky pro Popelku, 1973) is a fairy tale shown on Czech television every Christmas, and many Czechs have seen it more times than they can count. It is a way into Czech Christmas traditions. The English title varies by release.
Where to find them
Subtitled copies aren't always easy to find. Try public libraries, film festivals and legitimate streaming services, and check the National Film Archive's programme for subtitled screenings. Titles move between services, so search on the day rather than trusting a list. Skip unofficial uploads with machine-translated subtitles, which ruin the jokes.
How to pick
Take two films from different strands rather than five from one. A comedy and an experimental film show you the range. If you only have time for one, make it Closely Watched Trains, where the humour and the history share the same frame.
Do this today
Choose a title from the first section, find a subtitled copy and watch it before bed. When you reach Prague, take the tram to the Old Town and see whether the streets look different.
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Sources
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