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29 Jan – 8 Feb 2026

Trápení

Karel Kachyna | Czech Republic | 1961 | 90' | | IFFR 1995

Lyrical story about a girl and her relationship with nature, in which she finds her true home. Lenka is twelve and lives in a village surrounded by the beautiful nature of Bohemia, that is slow to industrialise. Her parents work all day – father on an excavator, mother on the cooperative farm – so Lenka has to look after herself. She usually plays with the boys from the village because she thinks girls’ games are boring. One day she finds out that she doesn’t really feel like playing any more. She had become obsessed by and maybe even fallen in love with a black stallion. The owner beats the horse with a whip, but Lenka can’t stand this. The horse slowly gets used to her and she only has one ambition: to allow the stallion to escape its cruel boss. Kachyƒa sketches the countryside in all its natural power with grand monumental shots. His capacity to direct young people is beautifully expressed in this film.

Film details

Country of production
Czech Republic
Year
1961
Festival edition
IFFR 1995
Length
90"
Medium/Format
35mm

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