Magic (Post) Realism: Year of the Devil (Czech Republic – 2002)

Year of the Devil | Directed by - Petr Zelenka (Czech Republic – 2002)

March 13 | 7 p.m. | 301 Julis Romo Rabinowitz



Dutch documentary film director, Jan Holman, goes to the Czech Republic to make a film about curing alcoholism. At an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting he finds a man named Jaromir Nohavica, who becomes his friend. Another friend of Nohavica, Karel Plihal, becomes mute, and Nohavica decides to start a tour with the band Čechomor to help cure him. When Jan Holman follows with his camera in tow, he finds many inexplicable events along the way.

Year of the Devil is a 2002 Czech mockumentary film directed by Petr Zelenka. It stars musicians who act as themselves: Czech folk music band Čechomor, musicians and poets Jaromír Nohavica, Karel Plihal and British musician and composer Jaz Coleman. The soundtrack also includes two pieces by the Killing Joke: Frenzy and Exorcism.

Born in Prague in 1967, Zelenka is a primarily a playwright and director of theatre. His films have been recognized at international festivals in Moscow and Rotterdam. In 2008, his film Karamazovi was the Czech Republic's official Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film. Frequently distinguished by his acerbic dark comedy, in 2010 his election advertisement “Přemluv bábu a dědu” caused controversy as critics believed it was offensive against elder people and “an imperfect copy of Sarah Silverman's stand-up video.”

(Film running time: 1h 28min)

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