Bohéma

CZECH TELEVISION PRESENTS

PRIVATE LIVES

...of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.

Yesterday, on 20 August 1968

around 11 p.m.,

the armies of the Soviet Union,

Polish People's Republic, German Democratic Republic...

Hello?

Hey.

You wanna come over now?

I've just got some Russkies pulling up outside.

I don't know what they want.

...crossed the state border of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.

I mean, if it's important to you, give it a shot.

I hope they didn't come for me.

Bye.

At this time, the Praesidium of the Central Committee

of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia

has convened and discussed

preparations for the 14th Party congress.

The Praesidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party

calls upon all citizens of our republic

to remain calm and not resist the advancing troops.

All leading officials of the state,

the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia

and the National Front

retain the functions to which they have been elected

as representatives of the people and members of their authorities

in accordance with the laws and other norms...

My name is Arnost Zak, it's hard to pronounce.

Divorced, 53 years old.

Being occupied by foreign troops is not the best time

for recording memories of youth,

to say nothing of the fact, I don't feel particularly old or wise.

The 30 years between the two occupations of Czechoslovakia,

I worked in film.

As an errand boy, as a so-called chief script editor

and as a screenwriter,

in other words the narrator of film stories.

When I started out, films were even more joyful than reality.

Maybe that's why today a lot of people think

that it couldn't have been so bad during the war.

Lili.

Her father was a German professor,

but I never heard her speak a word of German.

Here and there she played in some films,

but she wasn't particularly into it, or so I thought at the time.

They're beautiful. Thanks.

I couldn't fathom war coming, and neither could she.

- Shall we? - Okay.

I was more bothered by the fact

she wanted to go see a Zdenek Stepanek play.

I couldn't stand him.

A hero, a former legionary.

A gentleman, a wild man.

And most of all, a character.

All things I would've loved to be,

but I was none of them.

"You strip from me the laurel and the rose!

Take all!

Despite you there is yet one thing I hold against you all,

and when, tonight,

I enter Christ's fair courts,

and, lowly bowed, Sweep with doffed

casque the heavens' threshold blue,

One thing is left, that, void of stain or smutch,

I bear away despite you.

My panache!"

Bravo, bravo!

Bravo!

Have you finished that screenplay about the girl who's lost her memory?

You said there'd be something for me in it.

Elenka, nobody knows what's going to happen right now anyway.

The script is done though.

Want to stay the night at our place?

He'd love to see you.

The up-and-coming director. Otakar Vavra.

What's he playing?

Cyrano.

He'll be feeling homey, and perhaps even affectionate.

I'll let you two be alone.

And think about that film.

Zdenek!

Zdenek, wake up!

Some of Benes' guys are here.

What?

What is it? Who are you?

We're from the Office of the President.

Please get dressed, sir.

We're going to the radio station.

It's an order in the interest of the republic.

I would never have expected the republic to have an interest

in me throwing some trousers on.

Leave the jokes for later, Mr Stepanek,

the situation is serious.

Greetings, sir.

Sir.

Thank you, sir. This way, they're waiting for you.

Thank you.

You need to read this.

I'm not going to read this.

The President wishes it.

If no one calms the people, can you imagine the consequences?

The loss of lives?

Where was the President when they signed it?

Why doesn't he read it out himself?

From you, people will accept it, that's the point.

And the soldiers will accept it,

you're an officer after all!

Any military revolt would lead to countless casualties now.

Mr Stepanek, sir, it's for you.

Hello...

I'll do it.

Sir, please say a few numbers for us.

One, two, three...

How long am I going to be counting for?

That's good, thank you.

"Dear friends and fellow citizens.

Today at one o'clock in the morning,

Neville Chamberlain, Edouard Daladier,

Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler

signed an agreement...

in Munich that Czechoslovakia is to withdraw

from the Sudetenland by midnight 1 October,

ceding it to the German Reich, within the borders proposed by Germany.

Our representatives, though present in Munich,

were not invited to the talks.

It was discussed about us...

without us.

Our allies have thus broken the commitments

made to Czechoslovakia.

We have no choice but to accept this edict

in order to save peace in Europe.

I ask you now to accept this new reality calmly.

Do not take it as a defeat,

but as a new beginning.

As a guarantee of peace with a powerful neighbour

with whom we share centuries of culture,

and whose wrath there is no point in struggling against by force,

as it would cost too many lives with no hope of victory.

Our land is smaller,

but all the dearer is it.

We have not lost.

We have won new freedom

and we will continue to fight for it."

So, Mister Stepanek, is in bed with Hitler now?

We playing the morality game now?

Leave him alone, he's right.

And what would you've done, buddy?

I don't have to worry about it, I'm not famous!

Cause you're nothing!

We can get by without you, but not without him!

Give me number one!

Zoom in on Zdenek!

- Should I have him fired? - No.

You'll move away from the door, stop here,

camera will zoom in to a close-up and that's it.

And are you just doing the close-up or will there be a wider shot too?

If it's good, the close-up is enough.

Let's shoot!

Camera!

Sound rolling!

Health Above All, Scene 23, Take 1!

Frame!

Action.

Well, Ota, will the close-up be enough?

Cut! That's a wrap!

The guy was right, they took advantage of me...

What, was Hitler supposed to read it?

It should've been Benes!

"Dear fellow citizens, legionary brothers,

Czechoslovak nation,

we're screwed and there's no helping us."

People will forget.

You might, you sweet soul, but I won't.

And unfortunately I won't be alone.

I've got to go,

we're sold out again.

Zdenek, don't drink so much, we won't have any fun in the evening.

Just chatting isn't enough for you?

It's not!

It's not enough for her.

Someone has to come for you!

You can't just wander around at will here!

- Goodbye. - Goodbye.

BARRANDOV FILM STUDIO

- Boo! - Lili!

Mr Doruzka, the gentleman is coming to see me,

here's a ticket from the production!

And who might you be, miss?

An actress!

- Mr Hlavsa! - Yes?

There was supposed to be a car parked here!

Adinka, hold on a moment, the car's on its way,

it'll be here any minute now.

Minutes, minutes, minutes

and my feet are already frozen.

I'm going to need a shot from the side afterwards.

We'll have to rework the lights.

- Fanda! - Yeah?