Havel's Leaving

Havel's Leaving
Odcházení

Czech Republic / 2011 / 95 min
Fiction / Debut

Havel's Leaving
Odcházení

Czech Republic / 2011 / 95 min
Fiction

The film is based on a symmetrical composition of scenes mapping Reiger’s last two days in his villa before finally being evicted. The others present are mostly residents of the villa, the secretaries taking inventory of the contents, and visitors from outside who arrive and then leave again, like Vlasta and Albín, Jack and Bob, who are working on an interview, or Bea. With each additional scene, the situation gradually goes from bad to worse. Irena loses her respect for Rieger, particularly after catching him with Bea in the gazebo. Vlasta not only rescinds her offer of a new roof but even proposes a change to Rieger’s will. The journalists turn out to be shills for the tabloid press, which won’t print Rieger’s replies to political questions, focusing instead solely on his private life and thus casting his departure from public life in a disreputable light. The part before the end, where Rieger loses his mind, is expressed by all the characters taking a wild romp in and around the pool, accompanied by a huge light show.

Cast / Dagmar Havlová , Jan Budař , Jiří Lábus , Jiří Bartoška , Vlasta Chramostová , Oldřich Kaiser , Marián Labuda , Jaroslav Dušek , Eva Holubová , Pavel Landovský , Václav Havel , Josef Abrhám    Writer / Václav Havel    Story / Václav Havel    DoP / Jan Malíř    Editor / Jiří Brožek    Sound / Viktor Ekrt

Release date / 24 March 2011

Photogallery

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