Kolya

Shown: 7 November 1998
Introduced by Phill Walkley

Czech Republic/UK 1996
Directed by Jan Sverák
Leading players - Zdenek Sverák, Andrej Chalimon and Libuse Safrankova

Synopsis

Set in Prague 1988-89 before the "Velvet Revolution" this delightful film tells the tale of out of work cellist Frantisek Louka (Zdenek Sverák) who marries a Russian woman for money, in a marriage of convenience, in order to allow her to gain Czech residency. He is left to look after her five year old son, Kolya (Andrej Chalimon), when the woman flees to Germany immediately after the marriage and the boy's grandmother dies.

Slowly and reluctantly, and despite the fact that Kolya cannot speak Czech and Louka cannot understand Russian, the two begin to form a close bond with each other.

When the police and social welfare eventually catch up with the pair and announce their intention of sending Kolya back to Russia the audience is naturally anxious that nothing should separate this new family.

* * * * * *

Although the story is a well told one, the film cleverly avoids undue sentimentality whilst still managing to pull at the heartstrings. Beautifully photographed by Vladimir Smutny, using attractive locations and documentary footage of the revolution between scenes to add realism, this is a refreshingly simple film told with humour and telling details.

As Kolya, Andrej Chalimon is enchanting and the director's father, Zdenek Sverák, who also wrote the screenplay, gives an exceptional performance in the lead role as Louka, bringing out the essential warmth and humanity of the character which lies beneath his outwardly sardonic and selfish exterior.

The director Jan Sverák, began his career in 1991 with an Oscar nominated piece "The Elementary School " and has built up a high reputation in his own country although he was relatively unknown outside the Czech republic until "Kolya" walked away with the 1997 Hollywood Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as the Golden Globe Award.