Czech Dream (Cesky Sen)
Unfortunately, the most exciting new hyper-market in the Czech Republic does not actually exist.
A feature documentary by Filip Remunda and Vit Klusak WATCH the TRAILER | OFFICIAL WEBSITE | PRESS RELEASE
Saturday, June 10th, 2006
8:30 - Live Music by Christian Science Minotaur (click for details)
9:00 - Showtime
On the roof of The Old American Can Factory | DIRECTIONS
232 3rd Street @ 3rd Avenue, Gowanus, Brooklyn
In the event of rain the show is indoors at the same location.
SPECIAL NOTE: Capacity on the rooftop is limited to 200 people. In the event we sell out the roof in advance, we will be accepting walk-up patrons for our lovely courtyard. The best way to guarantee yourself a spot on the roof is to buy a ticket in advance.
Czech Dream (Cesky Sen)
31 May, 2003 — it's a few minutes before 10 a.m. and there are more than 3,000 people jostling on a remote parking place. Many of them are clutching plastic bags in their hands; some of them are armed with trolley bags. Assistants are handing out plastic cups and the moderator on the illuminated stage urges the people to have a drink from the near-by water tankers. The "hyper-anthem" of Czech Dream rings out once again from the speakers: "Try to see as a child, many things will seem wild..." Suddenly the managers of the hypermarket rush out on the stage, greet their customers and briskly cut the glittering ribbon. The escorts remove the metal barriers and the crowd starts moving. They still have 300 meters to reach the hypermarket. People start running.... A moment later, the fastest of them are struck dumb: the hypermarket that they have reached is nothing but a huge film decoration.... Documentary hyper-comedy Czech Dream is a feature film about a hypermarket that has never existed.
Czech Dream documents the largest consumer hoax the Czech Republic has ever seen. Filip Remunda and Vit Klusak, two of Eastern Europe's most promising young documentary filmmakers, set out to explore the psychological and manipulative powers of consumerism by creating an ad campaign for something that didn't exist.
CZECH DREAM — the Hypermarket for a better life!
Press forCzech Dream:
"An original, cheeky treatise on capitalism, with more than a whiff of exploitation, Czech Dream follows two film students who used a state grant to promote the opening of an entirely fictitious big-box mega-market in a Prague field. The resulting scandal, alternately hilarious and discomfiting, illuminates the waking nightmare of consumerism in a country still adjusting to the strengths and pitfalls of the concept."
—Eddie Cockrell, Variety
"It may well be the funniest European film of the year..."
—The Economist
"The best doc — Czech Dream [is] a stunt film that would make Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock proud."
—Wendy Mitchell, indieWIRE
"In my opinion, the film is really very good. If some people reproach it for being based on a lie or for deceiving people, then I have to say that such could apply to all films by Milos Forman and that that's the way things are. If we want to get to the core of a certain problem, we have to be tough in the interest of a good thing."
—Vaclav Havel
Czech Dream will be preceded by one short:
Frank and Wendy: The Polar Bear Parade (Episode 3)
(Kaspar Jancis & Ulo Pikkov | Tallinn, Estonia | 10:00)www.joonisfilm.ee
Named the best Estonian animated film of 2005, this is the unbelievably weird story of two FBI super-super-agents battling evil Latvians in the deadly streets of Estonia. Fittingly, in this episode, the Latvians have built a fraudulent theme park in a clever attempt to lure vegetarian Japanese tourists into pretending to be polar bears. Come to the roof each week as we present all 8 episodes of Frank and Wendy.
THE MUSIC:
Mysterious brooklyn duo, Christian Science Minotaur offers proverb-free instrumental psychedelic abandon for at-risk teens. Using everything in sight, XSM sneaks through field brush to deliver the good, and right before nightfall. Listen, and hear murky tone outlines collect in a dark pool of moss!
