Kolya (1996)
"Kolja" (original title)

Franta Louka is a concert cellist in Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia, a confirmed bachelor and a lady's man. Having lost his place in the state orchestra, he must make ends meet by playing ... See full summary »

Director:

Jan Sverák

Writers:

Pavel Taussig (story), Zdenek Sverák (screenplay)

Stars:

Zdenek Sverák, Andrey Khalimon, Libuse Safránková

Won 1 Oscar. Another 20 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Zdenek Sverák	...	Louka
Andrey Khalimon	...	Kolja (as Andrej Chalimon)
Libuse Safránková	...	Klára
Ondrej Vetchý	...	Broz
Stella Zázvorková	...	Mother
Ladislav Smoljak	...	Houdek
Irina Bezrukova	...	Nadezda (as Irina Livanova)
Silvia Suvadova	...	Blanka
Liliyan Malkina	...	Tamara (as Lilian Malkina)
Karel Hermánek	...	Musil
Petra Spalková	...	Pasa
Nella Boudová	...	Brozová
René Pribil	...	Pokorný
Miroslav Táborský	...	Novotný
Slávka Budínová	...	Bustiková

Storyline

Franta Louka is a concert cellist in Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia, a confirmed bachelor and a lady's man. Having lost his place in the state orchestra, he must make ends meet by playing at funerals and painting tombstones. But he has run up a large debt, and when his friend, the grave-digger Mr. Broz, suggests a scheme for making a lot of money by marrying a Russian woman so that she can get her Czech papers, he reluctantly agrees. She takes advantage of the situation to emigrate to West Germany, to her lover; and leaves her five-year-old son with his grandmother; when the grandmother dies, Kolya must come and live with his stepfather - Louka.

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Plot Keywords:

orchestra | cellist | czech | concert | grave digger | 

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Taglines:

The perfect grouch has met his match. A five-year-old boy named Kolya.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Czech Republic UK France

Language:

Czech Russian Slovak

Release Date:

24 January 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kolya

Filming Locations:

Prague, Czech Republic

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$37,795 (USA) (24 January 1997)

Gross:

$5,730,711 (USA) (11 July 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Biograf Jan Sverak, Portobello Pictures, Pandora Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min 111 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The child actor who plays Kolja, Andrey Khalimon, was not cast until three weeks before filming started.

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Goofs

Throughout the movie, many background cars are clearly newer than 1989 models. The film is set in 1989.

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Connections

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Nocturne"
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

User Reviews

Magic!

I saw Kolya at the cinema during the film festival here in 1997, and recently rented the video so the rest of my family could see it. The ending may be rather predictable, but the characterization is just magic. Best scenes: Kolya's funeral for the puppet, and the lump-in-the-throat moment when Kolya tries to call his babushka in the bathtub. Give that kid another acting job! A beautiful film. Even if you don't generally watch subtitled films, this one's worth it. My family and I all agree--this is a 10/10 film. They don't come any better.