Radio Prague

The film Radio Prague, directed by Jiri Madl, begins with some black and white archive footage, briefly showing the political context of Czechoslovakia. This brief reminder is necessary for viewers who are not familiar with the oppressive atmosphere that reigned since the 1950s under the regime of a people's democracy and socialist republic.

Tomas Havlik, a young man living in Prague, leaves for work as usual, unaware that this morning will take an unusual turn. No sooner had he sat down at his desk than his line manager asked him to leave quickly to go for an interview on Radio Prague. He was received by the senior manager Mr. Hoffman, who manages the media, in a way the Ministry of Information.

A rather obtuse character, master of censorship, where all information must go through him before any on-air disclosure. Tomas is well received by the group of journalists of which Milan Weiner is the editor-in-chief. It is a particular radio station that has managed to impose itself on the foreign press, including AFP and Reuters. These journalists do not hesitate to go on site to meet students at a university following letters received at the radio station, but which turn out to be forgeries written by the government. Milan Weiner often risks his life to broadcast subversive information rejected by the censors; for him, only the truth counts; he owes it to his listeners.

The rest of the film takes us into Tomas's private life. He is in charge of his younger brother Paja, a miner and student. The tension is palpable because Tomas has been feeling watched for some time, followed on his travels, probably because the censors have asked him to work for them on the radio, and that if he refuses he may lose custody of his brother. He has to find a roundabout way to remain true to his values without endangering the lives of his brother and his colleagues.

The film reaches its climax with more violence, the secret police keep watch, come unexpectedly, search the homes of journalists in search of information, we feel fear in our stomachs for them. The staging is at its most anxiety-provoking: what can happen to these workers? Can they escape? Will they be arrested and tried? Fortunately, mutual aid reigns in this close-knit team.

Anger is brewing among intellectuals, the people no longer want to live in anguish and fear, and this is what will trigger the famous Prague Spring in March 1968. We see again on screen some archive footage of the new government presided over by Alexander Dubcek, who wants to be a reformer while remaining a communist but wanting to break away from Moscow's grip.  The film effectively depicts this period of joy, when a wind of rediscovered happiness was blowing everywhere, with “Svoboda” (freedom, freedom of expression) written everywhere. These powerful moments give you goosebumps; if only for a moment, you feel as if you were with the Czechs, walking through the streets, filled with enormous fervor. Jiri Madl has managed to depict the moods of the inhabitants with emotion and realism and to convey their daily life.

This 100-minute film gives an overview of the years that marked Prague, a dark period of fear and mistrust, finally reaching a normal life expectancy, without secret police or false information. But unfortunately this was followed by another dark period with the arrival of tanks in Prague in August 1968. This film is a vibrant tribute to the quest for freedom, with battles fought by courageous, idealistic men and women journalists at Radio Prague, who despite the hardships were able and willing to keep the inhabitants informed despite the threats of censorship.
The music accompanies certain moments in the film with the appearance of foreign Western groups that the young people manage to get hold of. Very good acting, excellent documentary on this period and thus allows younger viewers to discover this moment in history, to imagine life under a totalitarian regime, and has the merit of making them want to delve into their history books.

Radio Prague
Written and directed by Jirí Mádl
Produced by Monika Kristlová, Wanda Adamík Hrycová
Starring Vojtech Vodochodský, Tatiana Pauhofová, Stanislav Majer, Ondrej Stupka, Martin Hofmann, Vojtech Kotek, Marika Soposka, Tomas Mastalir, Matyás Reznícek, Jacob Erftemeijer, Igor Bares, Tomás Weber, Petr Lnenicka, Hana Kusnjerová, Daniel Tuma, Petr Halícek
Music by Simon Goff
Cinematography: Martin Ziaran
Edited by Filip Malásek
Production companies: Dawson Production, Wandal Production, Czech Television, Radio and Television Slovakia, Barrandov Studios
Distributed by ARP Sélection (France)
Release date: March 19, 2025 (France)
Running time: 116 minutes

Screened on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at the headquarters of the distributor ARP

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