VACLAV

Country:	Czech Republic
Language:	Czech
Duration:	100 minutes
Distributor:	Simply Cinema
Director:	Jirí Vejdelek
Starring:	Ivan Trojan / Emília Vásáryová / Jan Budar
Genre:	Drama

Václav Vingle (Ivan Trojan ) is in his forties, bordering on autistic and living with his mother on the outskirts of a rural village. The villagers hate him, viewing him as nothing but trouble. But, his brother Frantisek (Jan Budar) envies the attention he gets from their mother (Emília Vásáryová), while Václav is haunted by the mysterious death in 1978 of their father.

The tension rises as Frantisek’s mistress Lida starts showing an attraction to the wild but charmingly innocent Václav. When the truth about their father’s death comes out, an explosive situation erupts between the brothers and in the village.

The tragic consequences cannot be written off as the actions of a village idiot so Václav is imprisoned. For the first time without his mother’s shelter, Václav faces the real world and becomes the easy target of his fellow prisoners. When his mother asks for a presidential pardon, the villagers must decide whether to sign a letter supporting his return to the village.

Based on true events that took place during president Havel’s prison amnesty program in the early 1990s, this involving drama earned huge acclaim on its Czech release.

What the Critics say!

“…risk-taking, precisely calibrated performance from Czech veteran Ivan Trojan … his fascinating, commanding Václav never approaches excess or caricature.” Eddie Cockrell – variety.com

WINNER: Best Actor – Czech Lions 2008

WINNER:Best Supporting Actor – Czech Lions 2008

WINNER: Best Actress – Shanghai International Film Festival 2008

WINNER: Best Screenplay – Shanghai International Film Festival 2008