Tomorrow’s Children

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1980

Production year

1980

Runtime

81 min

Category

film

Genre

drama

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Děti zítřků

Czech title

Děti zítřků

English title

Tomorrow’s Children

Working title

Hodonínská stávka / A zítra přijde den tvé síly / Děti naděje

Summary

In filming this politically engaged drama, director Radim Cvrček based it on the true events associated with the violent suppression of the Brno general strike in 1920. The narrative’s protagonist is Jožka Juřík (Vladimir Kratina), through whose eyes we follow the growing injustice and manipulation suffered by the workers at the hands of Kholmann (Ilja Prachař), the owner of the Hodonín Brickworks. The arrogant capitalist's wealth is even built on the slave labour of small children. Not even Kholmann’s daughter Kamila (Táňa Málková) can stomach this and after the arrest of Jožka she financially supports his family... There is growing unrest among the workers, but naturally their oppressors have armed force on their side and the strike is violently suppressed. Vladimír Menšík, Lubomír Kostelka and Jiří Kodet play roles in this film from 1980. It is an interesting example of the period of ideological production.

Synopsis

After returning from the First World War, Jožka Juřík takes a job at the Hodonín brickworks. Although they are poor, he and his wife Anka take the abandoned boy Fanoš into their family. Factory owner Kholmann treats his workers with jovial friendliness, but his daughter Kamila is not blind to the fact that there are children forced to work in her father's factory. The Social Democratic Party members also distrust Kholmann and organise a meeting with their sympathisers among the workers. Jožka is one of those invited. There is an accident at the brickworks, when a damaged machine, which Jožka has been trying to get the management to mend, crushes a maintenance man's legs. Kholmann blames another worker, a woman called Lidka for the accident and Jožka hit him in a fit of anger. He is put in jail but his friends help out his Anka and the children in his absence. Kamila, who has left home in protest after the accident also brings some money. The workers are unsatisfied and after a conference in Brno they call for a general strike. At first their actions are successful and they even take over power in the town. They also convince the local army units not to intervene. But another army unit brought over from Mikulov starts to shoot at the workers. The leaders of the strike and the entire uprising are put in jail and condemned "In the name of the Republic..."

Note

A contribution of the Gottwaldov Film Studio to the 16th Congress of the Czechoslovak Communist Party.

Cast

Vladimír Kratina

Jožka Juřík

Jaroslav Rozsíval

poslanec Tomáš

Tibor Vokoun

Tono Hrivňák

Vladimír Menšík

hejtman Hodonína

Ilja Prachař

majitel cihelny Kholmann

Ľudovít Greššo

Voice by Vladimír Šmeral
strýc Kozubík

Jiří Tomek

Jakoubek

Petr Skarke

Fráňa, redaktor časopisu Slovácko

Jaromír Roštínský

učitel Rudolf

Milan Kiš

Voice by Luděk Kopřiva
adjunkt Spatz

Oldřich Velen

plukovník Chmelař

Jiří Kodet

kapitán Zach

Maroš Kramár

voják Štefan

Ľudovít Kroner

blázen zvaný Kufr

Lubomír Kostelka

tajný Hoša

Taťána Málková

Kamila, Kholmannova dcera

Jana Paulová

Anka, Juříkova žena

Andrej Hryc

Edoš, Kamilin snoubenec

Oldřich Navrátil

údržbář Mikulka

Svetlana Majbová

Anička, dcera Juříkových

Zdeněk Rath

Martin Hartl

Hana Navrátilová

Zuzana

Martin Mráz

Fanoš

Stanislav Tříska

velkostatkář, otec Edoše

Pavel Plešák

kluk

Ivana Valešová

chudá vdova

Jan Kuželka

tlouštík na schůzi

Commentary

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Zdeněk Zydroň, Mojmír Ticháček

Shooting Script

Radim Cvrček

Director of Photography

Karel Kopecký

Camera Operator

Arne Parduba

Production Designer

Zdeněk Rozkopal

Assistent Production Designer

Josef Havlíček

Costume Designer

Taťána Havlíčková

Film Editor

Ivan Matouš

Production Manager

Vojtěch Kunčík

Unit Production Manager

Věra Kopecká, Eva Cvrčková

Unit Production Manager

Lenka Vlčková

Consultant

Bedřich Čerešňák

Cooperation

Otto Kamenský (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Harry Macourek

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens)

Songs

Já mám koně, vraný koně

Song Composer lidová píseň
Writer of Lyrics lidová píseň
Singer sbor

Za starú Breclavú

Song Composer lidová píseň
Writer of Lyrics lidová píseň
Singer Jana PaulováSvetlana Majbová

Production info

Original Title

Děti zítřků

Czech Title

Děti zítřků

English Title

Tomorrow’s Children

Working Title

Hodonínská stávka / A zítra přijde den tvé síly / Děti naděje

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1980

Production Year

1980

Production specifications

withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990

Premiere

preview 5 September 1980
premiere 5 December 1980 /suitable for youths/
gala premiere 13 December 1980 (Hodonín)

Studio

Hostivař

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

81 min

Original length in metres

2 316 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech