Followed by a discussion with Daniela Honigmann (Radio Prague International, German editorial office)

Prague, in the 1960s: Tomáš is a technician at Czechoslovak Radio and experiences first-hand every day how his boss Milan Weiner and the entire radio editorial team rebel against the limits of state censorship. With increasing liberalization in the country, they were gradually allowed to report on topics that had previously been taboo. However, the Prague reforms went too far for the rulers in Moscow. Tomáš was forced to cooperate by their henchmen in the state security service - as he had custody of his younger brother Pavel, he was vulnerable to blackmail. When Czechoslovakia was occupied by Warsaw Pact troops in August 1968, the reforms and freedom of the press came to an end. After heavy fighting, the radio building was occupied and the editors had to decide whether they were prepared to risk everything to continue informing the people on the radio independently.

Director Jíří Mádl has created an authentic and captivating film through precise research, the inclusion of archive footage and the combination of fictional characters with real personalities of the time. It has been honored with numerous international awards and even made it onto the Oscar shortlist for best international feature film.

Followed by a discussion with Daniela Honigmann (Radio Prague International, German editor) about the responsibility of her colleagues from Czech Radio in 1968 and her work as a radio editor today.

A joint event of the Czech Lectureship at the Institute for Slavic Studies at the University of Greifswald, Koeppenhaus and the Czech Center Berlin, with the kind support of the Gesellschaft für Bohemistik e. V. and Sparkasse Vorpommern.

VLNY / WAVES (OmenU)
Feature film CZ, SK 2024, 131 min., Director: Jiří Mádl
With: Vojtěch Vodochodský, Tatiana Pauhofová, Stanislav Majer, Vojtěch Kotek, Martin Hofmann, Ondřej Stupka and others.