Credited cast: | |||
Bolek Polívka | ... | Vicar Holý | |
Veronika Zilková | ... | Marjánka | |
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Petr Kavan | ... | Francek |
Jirí Pecha | ... | Klíma | |
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Antonín Kinský | ... | Count Kinský |
Jirí Lábus | ... | Vicar Kubista | |
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Richard Metznarowski | ... | Chapter's Vicar |
Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Krystof Hanzlík | ... | Doctor |
Zita Kabátová | ... | Tante | |
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Miroslav Knoz | ... | Archbishop |
Agáta Pracharová | ... | Eliska (as Agáta Hanychová) | |
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Michal Prikryl | ... | STB Officer |
Father Holy, a village priest, battles against the state and religious bureaucracies of 1980s Czechoslovakia in his fight to raise money for a new church roof. Permeated by his love for the villagers, his encounters are marked by his good humor. In his losing battle against Church and State, Holy is ordered to be transferred away from his parish and his allies. The Czech-American, Milena Jelinek, adapted this moving story from the the novel The Forgotten Light, by the 1930s Czech writer/poet and Catholic priest Jakub Deml. (1934) Written by Anonymous
The Film is based on the true story and personal life experience of czech poet and catholic priest Jakub Deml, who wrote the book with the same name. The Story takes place in mid 1980s in Czechoslovakia. The main character is charismatic priest Holy played by wonderful Bolek Polivka. Holy is a melancholy rebel, who is escaping from a communism into a small village which is full of people who are thinking like him. Dissalowed sculptor or the real count Kinsky, who is an Ambulance driver. The priest Holy tries to save his last church, other has been already closed or remade into fabrics or stores. He must fight against bureaucracy and communism, which brings also some funny even absurd situations. The story is also about unfulfilled love to the dying woman, who he can't help but stays with her till the last moments.
It's a great movie, with a great and memorable quotes when the priest tells his dreams, and the last dream at the end where he meets the God who was praying to Human. Just pity that is has only limited DVD distribution.