Martin Gregor

Saint Elizabeth Square

Film adaptation of Rudolf Jašík's novel of the same name. The plot of the film is situated in the forties of our century, in the first years of the Second World War. It captures the political and social atmosphere of one of the Slovak towns that lives seemingly in the lee, far from the world and war. Well, appearances are deceiving. Beneath the surface of peaceful, everyday life, a tragic process is taking place, accelerating people's destinies, the disintegration of their characters, but also the maturing of their relationships. The film is the story of Eva and Igor, their love, violently interrupted by political events. In this era of personal and social tragedies, children become adults almost overnight, honest people become victims, and mentally ill people become murderers. The film about the fates of Eva and Igor, the Jewish cartmen Samko and Maxi, and the careerist Flórik presents a believable, convincing picture of the era marked by the expansion of fascism.

Jánošík

This film is one of the most popular pictures of Slovak cinema and relates the story about the legendary folk hero and brigand Juro Jánošík [1688-1713] and the social situation in Slovakia of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The first part talks about Jánošík's childhood, studies and return to his native village. In the second part Jánošík leaves for the hills, where he organizes his band of brigands and starts an anti-feudal resistance. The film concludes with Jánošík's execution.

The Shop on Main Street

In a small town in Nazi-occupied Slovakia during World War II, decent but timid carpenter Tono is named "Aryan comptroller" of a button store owned by an old Jewish widow, Rozalie. Since the post comes with a salary and standing in the town's corrupt hierarchy, Tono wrestles with greed and guilt as he and Rozalie gradually befriend each other. When the authorities order all Jews in town to be rounded up, Tono faces a moral dilemma unlike any he's known before.

The House in Karp Lane

Bakaláři

A Pact with the Devil

A comedy about five students who are un-justly suspected of trying to lose their virginity before their graduation. The five girls first try to defend themselves, but when they find out that nobody believes them - neither the school principal nor even their own parents - they decide to accomplish what they have been falsely accused of. And although their clumsy attempts are mostly comic, at one point they almost cause a big tragedy.

Katka

Strong-willed peasant girl Katka disobeys her father and heads to the city to work in a factory, where no one knows quite what to make of her.

Wolves' Lairs

This drama from the times of Slovak National Uprising is situated in a small Slovak village. It is the tragical story of a widow and her four sons who fight alongside the partisans against the German occupants.

Days of Betrayal

This feature film based on the events of 1938 is a chronicle of the futile efforts of the Czechoslovak president Edvard Benes (Jirí Pleskot), politicians and ordinary citizens, to save the independence and the territorial integrity of the state from the advance of Hitler's Germany. On the 29th of March 1938 the leader of the Sudeten Germans Henlein (Werner Ehrlicher) has a meeting with Hitler (Gunnar Möller). Hitler orders him to intensify pressure on the Czechoslovak government. On the 24th of April in Carlsbad, the Sudetendeutsche Partei (Sudeten German Party) decides upon eight demands that are unacceptable to the Czechoslovak President, since they would ultimately lead to the break-up of the Republic. Benes still shows a certain willingness to negotiate, and Henlein resents this. The Germans are determined to make further negotiations impossible through incidents and violence.

Transport from Paradise

Czechoslovakian Zbynek Brynych directs this psychological drama set in World War II Terezin ghetto. A dark, visual portrayal of the trials and tribulations the Theresienstadt people faced on a daily basis presented in a series of memorable stories. Their hopes and dreams unfold against the perpetual threat of deportation (or worse) by the Nazis. Based on the novel "Night and Hope" by Arnost Lustig.