The Valley of the Bees

Petr Čepek in František Vláčil's famous film about the clash between fanaticism and the desire for freedom.

Údolí včel
Czechoslovakia 1967
96 min.
Přístupný
  • This film is available in the following territories: Czechia, Slovakia.
About

The story of the film directed by František Vláčil and written by Vladimír Körner takes place in the second half of the 13th century. Ondřej of Vlkov, the son of a Czech landowner, came to the order as a child. He did not do so voluntarily. Perhaps he was not even aware that he was actually sacrificed to atone for his father's violent act against him and that he was therefore a double victim. It is only after ten years of renunciation that he learns that there is another world, another life than the one enclosed by the solid walls of the Order's castle. He succumbs to the call of home, the call of his native Valley of the Bees, and tries to return. Already it seems he will have better luck than Brother Rotgier, whose attempt to escape ended in a cruel death. But even in his case, the power of order proves stronger, and religious fanaticism triumphs once again over the individual's at the time hopeless attempt to rebel against the power of dogma associated with power.

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Credits
Director: František Vláčil
Based on: Vladimír Körner
Screenplay: Vladimír Körner, František Vláčil
Cinematography: František Uldrich
Music: Zdeněk Liška
Sound: František Fabián
Editing: Miroslav Hájek
Production Design: Jindřich Goetz
Producer: Věra Kadlecová
Costumes: Theodor Pištěk ml.
Cast: Petr Čepek, Jan Kačer, Věra Galatíková, Zdeněk Sedláček, Zdeněk Kryzánek, Jana Hájková, Michal Kožuch, Ladislav Gzela, Petr Štěpánek, Josef Somr, Miloš Willig
Links
  • This film is available in the following territories: Czechia, Slovakia.