Days are getting shorter and nights aren’t that warm anymore. Why not to hide inside a movie theatre? The Bio Oko cinema in the Letná neighbourhood has reopened with new management that brings a solid technical background and movie programme as a partner to the arty Světozor and Kino Aero. The cinema offers independent films, discounted screenings for children and seniors, and drinks and snacks at a bar. The seating area ranging from collapsible chairs to cushion seats is just another reason to check it out.
The annual festival of cinema from German-speaking countries will present a collection of films produced by the postwar studio DEFA as well as selections focusing on 1989, the year the wall fell. The Oscar-winner Caroline Link will open the festival on 1 October with her film A Year Ago in Winter. Other presentations include The Murderers Are Among Us, the first German feature made after 1945 to confront issues of guilt for mass murder, and The Architects, Peter Kahane’s critical and politically engaged film from 1989-90. Der Film will take place at Kino Aero and Světozor until 7 October, then will move to Brno’s Kino Art. Selected films will have English subtitles.
Seven critically acclaimed anti-communist movies shot in Poland in the 1970-80s are on show at Kino Aero from Friday to Sunday. They include Andrzej Wajda’s Man of Marble and Man of Iron, Agnieszka Holland’s A Woman Alone and Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Blind Chance. Only Polish version with Czech subtitles.
An enjoyable movie especially for those who like to cook is entering Czech cinemas on Thursday. Maryl Streep is charming as a cooking personality Julia Child in Nora Ephron’s new film Julie & Julia assisted by Amy Adams who plays a government worker who decided to tackle Child’s 524 recipes in her groundbreaking cook book in 365 days while documenting online the whole process in a blog. Recommended is to eat before attending.
Looking for a live performance? Two years ago when Sophie Hunger played support for Erik Truffaz in Prague and Brno, she was new to the local audience. Now she is back as a headliner and her Thursday show at Palác Akropolis is almost sold out. Don’t miss the talented songwriter and singer from Switzerland and her latest album Monday’s Ghost.
Another concert held within the Respect Plus music festival follows on Saturday, 3 October. The Pakistani group Qawal Najmuddin Saifuddin and Brothers will bring a spiritual kind of music specific to India and Pakistan to the Church of St Simon and Jude in Prague. The show starts at 8pm and the tickets are available from CZK 370.
As oppose to qawwali, which dates back to the 13th century, beatboxing is a relatively new genre. Yet it has been growing fast and its popularity is spreading around the world. Among the promoters is the Austrian band Bauchklang. You can see their astonishing artillery of drum and bass and hip hop vocals at Palác Akropolis on Saturday.
The annual weeklong exhibition focusing on design is back, opening on 6 October in selected showrooms, boutiques and galleries all over Prague. This year’s Designblok features more than 200 presentations at 63 venues in Prague, with the central location in Holešovice.
