The Double

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1973

Production year

1973

Runtime

13 min

Category

film

Genre

sci-fi

Typology

featurenon-theatrical distributionstudent filmshort

Original title

Dvojník

Czech title

Dvojník

English title

The Double

Synopsis

Braling is delightedly browsing through a book of reproductions of the Tahiti paintings by Paul Gauguin. His good-looking wife Lucy is putting on her make-up in front of the mirror. They are meant to be going to a party, but the husband is making excuses; he claims that he is tired and has a headache. Lucy is sarcastic about his yearning for an exotic island and reminds him that the reason they are going to the party is her father, who is also her husband's boss. Braling gives in and the two leave the flat, but the man appears to come back very soon. At night, the couple return in the best spirits, kiss and embrace. The wife praises her husband for his successful socializing at the party, but from his hiding place, a man identical to her husband is watching them. Lucy goes to the bedroom and the two men have a chance to talk. It becomes clear that the wife was escorted to the party by a robot, secretly purchased by the husband especially for such occasions. Now he wants to fulfil his life-long dream and spend a month in Tahiti all by himself. But the robot is of the most advanced kind, a humanoid complete with emotions and desires. It has fallen in love with its owner's wife and does not want to return to its box when the husband returns. The two rivals get into a fight. Braling overcomes the robot and drags the body down to the basement. He then lovingly cuddles next to the sleeping Lucy in the bedroom. But he hears a disquieting noise coming from his wife's chest. It is the same mechanical ticking of the "heart" that distinguished the humanoid from him.

Cast

Rudolf Jelínek

Braling/humanoid

Hana Maciuchová

manželka Lucy

Crew and creators

Based on

Ray Bradbury (Dvojník – povídka)

Screenplay

Hussein Moussa

Director of Photography

Nikolaj Todorov

Production Designer

Oldřich Okáč

Film Editor

Eva Vávrová

Production Manager

Karel Fiala

Pedagogical management

Jiří Sequens (režie), Jan Kališ (kamera), Jan Kučera (střihová skladba)

Music

Music Composed by

archivní

Music Advisor

Ivo Bláha

Production info

Original Title

Dvojník

Czech Title

Dvojník

English Title

The Double

Category

film

Typology

featurenon-theatrical distributionstudent film

Genre

sci-fi

Student film

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1973

Production Year

1973

Production

Studio FAMU

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Technical info

Duration typology

short film

Duration in minutes

13 min

Original length in metres

357 meters

Distribution carrier

35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech