Magic Voice of a Rebel

After her portrait of Věra Čáslavská, the most successful Czechoslovak sportswoman of all time, leading Czech documentarist Olga Sommerová decided to make a film about Marta Kubišová, another exceptional woman whose eventful life was determined to a considerable extent by the tyranny of communist power. The stellar career of this talented singer and three-time winner of the Golden Nightingale music award ended in 1968 with the occupation of Czechoslovakia. In 1977 Kubišová signed Charter 77 and also became its spokesperson, making her a target of the secret police. After twenty years’ enforced silence, however, she was able to stage a spectacular comeback during the Velvet Revolution. Olga Sommerová maps out key episodes from the private, professional and dissident chapters of Marta Kubišová’s life through archive footage and interviews with friends, such as Dana Němcová, Pavel Kohout and Jaroslav Hutka. The film also features a brand new song performed with Aneta Langerová.