Slovak director Sulík is perhaps best known for his films The Garden and Orbis Pictus – films that, despite their often serious subject matter, are playful, poetic and imaginative. Critics in his own country have held his ‘playfulness’ against him, claiming he was avoiding more serious issues in a changing society. With The City of the Sun he proves that he is quite capable of making something quite extraordinary in Slovakian film, namely a socially-critical film. The Slovak film industry is minimal to the point of non-existence and to produce any kind of film is quite an ordeal. Sulík teamed up with the Czech producer of his previous film, Cestmir Kopecky, to make The City of the Sun, set against the backdrop of unemployment and poverty in the harsh Czech mining town of Ostrava. Despite the more critical elements, Sulík can’t escape his personal traits. The film is full of warmth and sympathy for its four male protagonists, and has some humorous elements. Four friends lose their jobs and are forced to use their imagination and creativity to think about ways to earn money and support their families. No simple task, and one which gets them into all kinds of trouble. The city and people are portrayed in a realistic vein, and the characters use pretty coarse language. Sulík’s latest film is important for both the Czech and the Slovak Republics: let’s hope it leads to many more such films. (LC)
