Christmas with Elisabeth

Christmas with Elizabeth is one of those Kachyňa-Procházka films that center around a vulnerable young person. Pavla Kárníková is, same as Robert Lischke in Shadows of a Hot Summer, an example of an actor delivering an impressive debut performance and then disappearing from the film industry. Here she is cast next to the already experienced Vlado Müller, who would go on to act for another quarter of a century. Together they portrayed an unlikely pair of souls searching for a connection with each other and themselves. The groundedness and emotional intimity of the story is emphasized by reserved acting performances, unembellished spaces and limited time frame in which the meeting of Elizabeth and Hubert takes place. The film is being released on DVD here at the festival, with audio commentary for visually impaired viewers, which is also includes during the screening itself. Its screening will be preceded by the showing of Black Days, a short documentary presenting a raw image of the August ‘68 invasion.  (bk)