The fate of an adolescent girl whose life was affected by serious parental neglect was the inspiration for Jaromíra Kolárová’s novel and this film adaptation bearing the same name. In this intimate family drama, director Jiří Svoboda remained true to his formally effective style, which somewhat pushes the actual dramatic fate of the 13-year-old heroine into the background. At school little Vendula is considered to be backward; but in fact she has taken over from her alcoholic mother, caring for her three younger half-siblings. Evelyna Steimarová excels in the role of the unhappy woman addicted to alcohol in this 1980 drama. After Čekání na déšť (Waiting for the Rain, 1978), Karel Kachyňa secured the part of the heavily tested heroine for the young Dita Kaplanová, giving her another opportunity to deliver a deeply heartfelt performance.
Thirteen-year-old Vendula dozes off at school and dreams about her parents riding in a carriage dressed in their wedding clothes. The young teacher is angry with the girl who has already failed a year, and has no idea that she is looking after three younger half-brothers. They all have a different father and their mother comes home noisy and drunk every day, often accompanied by a man. Early in the morning, Vendula helps her mother clean offices, and sometimes has to do the cleaning all by herself. Her eldest brother Libor is good at school and blindly adores his mother. Jeník is a talented flute player and much more cynical. The youngest Venoušek is still a toddler. The only one who is cared of is Vendula by her father, who has divorced his confirmed alcoholic wife years ago and has another daughter in his new family. All his attempts to persuade Vendula to move in with them are in vain. The girl is selflessly trying to keep the family together. One night, her mother's drunken guest makes passes at Vendula and the girl's escape ends in a fall from the stairs and a stay in hospital. The mother ends up in an alcohol detoxification clinic, Venoušek in an orphanage, and the boys at a children's home where Vendula also finds herself after she gets well. In the meantime, the mother has given Venoušek up for adoption. Although back from the clinic, she shows no interest in her children and has started drinking again. She snubs her daughter who has hitchhiked to come and see her. Vendula's dreams of a real family have collapsed. At the masked ball in the children's home Vendula smiles for the first time.
Voice by Sylva Sequensová
Vendula Brabcová
matka
Jeník, Vendulin nevlastní bratr
Libor, Vendulin nevlastní bratr
sociální pracovnice Humlová
vychovatelka
Brabec, Vendulin otec
otcova druhá žena
učitel Kadeřávek
Helena, Vendulina nevlastní sestra
Pavel
Zuzka
Pernica
saxofonista Šimák
sousedka s pomerančem
soused Kraus
příslušník VB
Venoušek, Vendulin nejmladší bratr
číšník
sousedka
princezna, dvojče z Dětského domova
princezna, dvojče z Dětského domova
Hamouz
kuchařka ve škole
Pepík
Jana
Sýkorová
tlouštík
spolužačka
spolužák
spolužačka
spolužák
spolužačka
spolužák
dubl za Jiřího Škodu
dubl za Jiřího Škodu
soubor
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
člen Souboru Chorea Bohemica
členka Souboru Chorea Bohemica
Jaromíra Kolárová (Dívka s mušlí – novela ze sbírky Cizí děti)
Pavel Dosoudil
Jan Hodný, Jaroslav Česal, Karel Kočí
Ivana Chobotová
doc. Dr. Karel Tmej, CSc.
Alice Kracíková (klapka), Ivan Minář (fotograf)
FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario Klemens)
Singer dívčí sbor
Song Composer Petr Hapka
Writer of Lyrics Petr Rada
Singer MefistoJaromír MayerKarel Svoboda
Dívka s mušlí
Dívka s mušlí
The Girl with a Sea-Shell
film
featuretheatrical distribution
psychological
Czechoslovakia
1980
1979—1980
literary Screenplay approved 12 July 1979
start of filming 15 November 1979
technical Screenplay approved 18 December 1979
end of filming 23 June 1980
projection approval 26 June 1980
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990
premiere 13 February 1981 /unsuitable for youths/
Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
feature film
87 min
2 442 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech
Festival: 19. festival českých a slovenských filmů Kladno
1981
Kladno / Czechoslovakia
Jiří Svoboda
Festival: 18. filmový festival mladých Trutnov
1981
Trutnov / Czechoslovakia
Dita Kaplanová
Festival: 32. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´81
1981
62 měst / Czechoslovakia
Dita Kaplanová