Intimate Lighting

A key film of the Czech New Wave – and what a pleasure to see it turn up in a splendid DVD transfer! This affecting and wry tale of provincial life was one of the key ... more >

A key film of the Czech New Wave – and what a pleasure to see it turn up in a splendid DVD transfer! This affecting and wry tale of provincial life was one of the key works of the era. It concerns the visit of Peter (Zdenek Bezusek), a successful symphony musician, and his girlfriend (Vera Kresadlova) to Bambas (Karel Blazek) an old friend who is now the director of a small town music school. There is a family dinner, some amateur chamber music, a funeral, a wake and a late night drinking session. The visit allows the friends to reflect on themselves and how their lives have turned out. Intimate Lighting is a quietly funny film that in its own gentle way has a lot to say about our lives and what we do to get by. There is none of the bitterness or angst that one would expect from a less accomplished director and writer, no condescension or sentimentality. Passer's achievement was considerable; this was the only feature film that Passer completed in the Czech Republic. The Russian invasion of 1968 forced him into exile in the United States from where he continued to make films including the celebrated Cutter's Way in 1981. < less

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DVD Extras

• Newly-filmed interview with director Ivan Passer
• Digitally re-mastered with restored image and sound
• New, improved subtitle translation
• Booklet with new essay by writer/broadcaster Phillip Bergson.

Film Details

Cast

Zdenek Besuzek, Vera Kresadlova

Technical Details