The Ceiling
A unique glimpse into fashion in 1962. Everything – the clothes, accessories and makeup… looks incredible. Everyone knows Věra Chytilová’s Daisies, but this early graduation film by the legendary Czech director remains largely undiscovered. It captures a chapter from Chytilová’s own biography, when she was taking her first steps as a model.
A medium-length 1962 student graduation film made during Věra Chytilová’s time studying film directing at Prague’s FAMU academy. It sees Chytilová return to the familiar world of modelling, having herself briefly worked in this profession. The protagonist of the story is Marta, who works as a mannequin and appears to be contented. But a chance meeting with a former medical student colleague – Marta having dropped out of the course – exposes a figurative “ceiling” which boxes in the young woman’s comfortable and successful existence. To a certain extent, the character of Marta mirrors the reality of the woman portraying her, a non professional actress Marta Kaňkovská. But the story is chiefly a fictional one, and its primary focus is Chytilová’s favourite theme, namely emancipation. For many of the female characters in Chytilová’s films battle, often in vain, to extricate themselves from an existential stereotype.
This documentary-style film also features a number of future celebrities of the Czechoslovak New Wave film scene, including fellow FAMU students Jiří Menzel and Miloš Forman.
Source: DAFilms
The film will be screened together with Lili.
Věra Chytilová
Věra Chytilová (1929–2014) was one of the most influential Czech filmmakers and a leading figure of the Czechoslovak New Wave. Known for bold experimentation, dark humour, and social critique, she gained international acclaim with Daisies (1966), a landmark of feminist and avant-garde cinema. After the Soviet invasion, she was banned from filmmaking for several years. She later returned to directing and taught at Prague’s FAMU, mentoring a new generation of filmmakers.
Reżyseria: Věra Chytilová
