This film is part of our ARTHOUSES special, showing in November and December.
In 1970s Prague, an elderly man from the countryside wanders around a residential area still largely under construction. Due to a housing shortage in Prague, tenants are forced to move into the apartment complexes early—labyrinths of construction, ongoing work, and chaos. Intrigued by this peculiar situation, the old man closely observes everything happening around him, offering a helping hand wherever he can. Through the eyes of various residents, we witness how everyday life unfolds under these absurd conditions. What starts as a model community quickly devolves into a chaotic mess.
With this social satire on Soviet-era apartment culture, acclaimed avant-garde filmmaker Věra Chytilová cleverly dismantles the sacred institutions of her time.