Pearls of the Czech New Wave: Horí, má panenko (The Firemen’s Ball) 1967

AFG Film Club presents at The Club (AKUMB, 40 Tumanyan Str.)
September 6 – October 25, 2016 Program
Pearls of the Czech New Wave
Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at 22:00
HORÍ, MÁ PANENKO (The Firemen’s Ball)
1967, Czechoslovakia, 73 min, Comedy / Drama, DVD
Director: Milos Forman
Stars: Jan Vostrcil, Josef Sebánek, Josef Valnoha
A milestone of the Czech New Wave, Milos Forman’s first color film The Firemen’s Ball (Horí, má panenko) is both a dazzling comedy and a provocative political satire. A hilarious saga of good intentions confounded, the story chronicles a firemen’s ball where nothing goes right - from a beauty pageant whose reluctant participants embarrass the organizers to a lottery from which nearly all the prizes are pilfered. Presumed to be a commentary on the floundering Czech leadership, the film was “banned forever” in Czechoslovakia following the Russian invasion and prompted Forman’s move to America.

* Programs are free of charge, but seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.
* Films are screened in original language with English subtitles.
* Special thanks to the program supporters Khachatur Aloyan (USA), Larisa Loboda & Igor Khalatian (USA)