The Wild Bees

A biting comedy about the emotional isolation of young villagers living in a forgotten corner of Moravia.

Divoké včely
Czechia 2001
94 min.
15+
  • This film is available until 31. 7. 2025 in these territories: Czechia, Slovakia.
Videos
About

After the war, this former Sudetenland region was filled with a wide variety of people of all backgrounds from all over Czechoslovakia. Today they are linked through unemployment, poverty and a lack of confidence in their own abilities. But their rough sense of humour helps them get the most out of life in spite of the lousy cards fate has dealt. An 18-year-old forest worker named Kája is, according to writer-director Bohdan Sláma, “an inconceivably pure spirit dwelling in some kind of impenetrable isolation from the world. He is completely defenceless and is at the mercy of the cruellest of embarrassments.” Kája pines for Božka, a salesgirl at the local grocery kiosk. She is ever more aware of the emptiness of her existence, the same which fills her mother’s life. She is also lonely – and not only with respect to her boyfriend Laďa, a local dreamboat who worships Michael Jackson. Then Kája’s older brother, Petr, comes from Prague for an unexpected visit, and hidden relationships and motives begin to surface. The fireman’s ball is coming soon, one of the few opportunities they have for a bit of a change…

Read more
Credits
Director: Bohdan Sláma
Screenplay: Bohdan Sláma
Cinematography: Diviš Marek
Music: Miroslav Šimáček
Sound: Jan Čeněk, Pavel Dvořák
Editing: Jan Daňhel
Production Design: Petr Pištěk
Producer: Viktor Schwarcz, Alice Nemanská, Helena Slavíková
Costumes: Zuzana Krejzková
Cast: Tatiana Vilhelmová, Zdeněk Raušer, Pavel Liška, Jaroslav Dušek, Marek Daniel, Vanda Hybnerová, Eva Tauchenová, Zuzana Kronerová, Miloš Černoušek, Marie Ludvíková
Awards

Rotterdam International Film Festival

2002 – Bohdan Sláma (Tiger Award)

San Francisco International Film Festival

2002 – Bohdan Sláma (SKYY Prize)

Czech Lions

2001 – Zuzana Kronerová (Best Supporting Actress)

Links
  • This film is available until 31. 7. 2025 in these territories: Czechia, Slovakia.