The Sun in a Net

This film is always described as a work which essentially incorporates everything that was fundamental for the Czechoslovak New Wave: prosaic characters and plots, hidden drama, and the evocation of authentic atmosphere. The Sun in a Net also anticipated the strong interest in young heroes, yet perhaps only Forman was able to capture them with the same kind of immediacy achieved by Štefan Uher. Uher wasn’t seeking ways to make them exceptional; a silent observer, he simply entered an ordinary apartment block in contemporary Bratislava and chose two adolescents from among its occupants. He refrained from making judgements, instead quietly prompting his viewers to catch the allusions necessary to appreciate the complexity of his characters’ situation and the tests they must face before they can finally get together. Bela is at last learning to understand her disabled mother, while Fajolo seeks solitude on the roof of the building, where he meditates about himself, about life, and about Bela. The film was digitally restored to mark 50 years since it was made.