Long Live the Republic!
(Ať žije republika)
A film by Karel Kachyňa

Czechoslovakia, 1965

From Karel Kachyňa, director of Coach to Vienna and The Ear, this landmark film views the end of WWII through the eyes of 12-year-old Olda as he witnesses the retreat of the German Army and the arrival of the Soviets in 1945 rural Czechoslovakia.

Combining poetic and dreamlike evocations of the boys’ inner fantasy world with the harsh reality of the war’s final days, his brutal home life, rivalries with other boys, and the grim realities to come under Soviet rule, Kachyňa’s lyrical film established his reputation as one of Czechoslovak cinema’s most formidable talents.

“This lovely, epic film”

Mark Cousins, A Story of Children and Film

Pre-order here

ON BLU-RAY MARCH 2026