SAT 10 May: Tips for today

Pelikan blue
13.00, Malé Theatre

Hungary, early 1990s. Society discovers a newfound feeling of freedom and the infinite possibilities thereof. People are thrilled that travelling to the West is once again unrestricted! But the longing to explore previously prohibited countries encounters a problem – international train tickets are exceedingly expensive. The feeling is very frustrating as people are allowed to travel freely but cannot afford it. However, through trial and error, a group of friends led by the resourceful Ákos finds a way to falsify tickets. These tickets are initially just for their own needs, but in time, their laboratory becomes profitable.

Paprika
17.00, Malé Theatre

The films of Japanese filmmaking legend Satoshi Kon feature alternate realities, disturbing visions and dream worlds. The core topic of his fourth and final film, Paprika, is the possibility of visiting the human unconscious, and in its story, what happens in dreams fundamentally affects ‘verifiable’ reality. Based on a science-fiction novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui, the film revolves around the invention of a device that allows entering people’s dreams. Dr Atsuko Chiba uses it to treat her patients’ psychological problems, but one day it turns out that someone else is using the device as well.

Industry tip: Jura programme – Xavier Kawa-Topor: René Laloux, a sci-fi visionary
15.30, Grandhotel Zlatý lev

René Laloux (1929–2004) was an important figure in French animation, a pioneer of independent cinema and a campaigner against Walt Disney’s domination. He made his seminal work, Fantastic Planet, a French-Czech co-production awarded in Cannes, in collaboration with Roland Topor. This illustrated lecture will introduce Laloux, beginning with his first short films and continuing to his collaboration with Moebius (The Masters of Time) and Philippe Caza (Light Years); it will also outline the creation process of Fantastic Planet, linking Paris and Prague.