Discostory

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1987

Production year

1986

Premiere

1 September 1987

Runtime

82 min

Category

film

Genre

music

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Discopříběh

Czech title

Discopříběh

English title

Discostory

Summary

The songs of Michal David added a pop panache to a number of Czech films in the 1980s. One of the most popular movies in which they could be heard was this comedy by director Jaroslav Soukup from 1987. He also made other popular films for young people – Láska z pasáže (Love from the Arcade) and Kamarád do deště (A Good Pal), which also had a sequel, like Discopříběh (Discostory, 1991). This musically attuned spectacle, which is one of the most typical populist titles of the decade, describes the fate of a 16-year-old apprentice chimney sweep, Jirka, and his widowed father Jiří. He is worried about his son, because he has to constantly smooth out his troublesome exploits. Ultimately, however, a reconciliation between the generations occurs, in which the young hero and his peers simply demand that their “parents take them seriously.” Jaroslav Soukup worked on the script with Boris Janíček (real name: Eduard Pergner), who also wrote lyrics for songs that are the means by which the youthful hero represents a world of infantile optimism in the spirit of the official “discotheque” pop culture. Like the target audience, the familiar tone and relaxed humour were primarily aimed at youthful apprentices. One of the film’s interesting aspects is its “decentralisation,” i.e. unlike most similar movies it does not take place in Prague, but in Plzeň… The role of Jirka Horáček was the first major acting opportunity for the youngest Rudolf Hrušínský, whom Soukup also cast in Svatba upírů (Vampire Wedding) as well as in two comedies from the Byl jednou jeden polda (There Once Was a Cop) series of movies, which also starred the experienced Ladislav Potměšil, who played the role of the troubled hero’s bricklayer father in Disco Story. Jirka’s insincere love, Eva, was played by Mariana Slováková, who subsequently appeared in Soukup’s romantic film Divoká srdce (Famous Duels, 1989). However, Jaroslava Bobková, who played the nice hairdresser, Jitka, did not pursue a career acting in films.

Synopsis

The sixteen-year old chimneysweep's apprentice Jirka Horáček is seen off to a school celebration by his widowed father. But as soon as Jirka parts from him, he and his friend Roman go to a disco in the coffee bar Slavia. Jirka becomes fond of the attractive blond Eva, but she belongs to the older dandy Cáfa. As soon as the disco is over, the young lad turns back into the "good son". He meets Jitka and her great mastiff in the corridor of an apartment house. He dreams of big love on the roof of his prefab house before going to bed. The next day, Jirka steals Eva's photograph from the school-leavers class photograph hanging in a florist's shop. Jitka waits for him at home with his ID card, which he lost in her house. Roman likes the girl and the boys arrange to go to a cinema with her. On the way, Jirka spots Eva and joins her and Cáfa's gang. He bets with Cáfa that he would run naked across the square in Plzeň. Although he wins, Cáfa meanwhile runs away with his clothes. Jirka and Eva end up at a local police station. Jirka decides to seek revenge. He invites Cáfa's gang to a luxurious restaurant and he and Eva run away just before getting the bill. The girl is impressed by his "exploit" and they agree on a date. But when she finds out that the boy is a chimneysweep's apprentice, she breaks up with him once and for all. Jirka gets drunk. His feats worsen the relationship with his father. Cáfa's gang tries to extort the money paid for the restaurant bill from Jirka and beats him up when he refuses. The sad Jirka sets off to meet his father at a construction site where he works, but the father has no sympathy for him and slaps him across his face. Jirka packs his things, writes a farewell letter to his father and leaves. The father vainly searches for him. But Jirka has nowhere to go; he is hungry and suffers from cold and lack of sleep. He waits for his father to leave for work, crawls into the flat through the window and gets some food and sleep, disappearing again before the father returns. The father spots the traces of his visit and keeps leaving food in the fridge for him. One day, the father and the son meet over breakfast and reconcile. A street in Plzeň is full of dancing boys and girls and the singing Jirka walks through the crowd of his coevals lining the pavement.

Film online

Cast

Rudolf Hrušínský nejml.

kominický učeň Jirka Horáček

Ladislav Potměšil

zedník Jiří Horáček, Jirkův otec

Jaroslava Bobková

kadeřnice Jitka

Roman Pikl

Roman Svoboda, Jirkův kamarád

Andrej Kraus

Cáfa

Radek Pospíšil

Sendvič

Tomáš Máka

Beďula

Antonín Kříž

Dóda

Karel Vochoč

kominický mistr Jonák

Jana Krausová

Zdena Horáčková, Jirkova matka

Pavel Kocourek

Pakoun

Bohumil Vávra

vedoucí kadeřnictví

Dáša Neblechová

uklízečka ve Slávii

Pavel Nový

zedník Jarda, otcův kolega

Jiřina Jelenská

tlustá matka

K. Kovařík

tlusté dítě

M. Chudáček

tlusté dítě

Milan Pěkný

příslušník VB

Milan Vlachovský

příslušník VB

Jan Polívka

příslušník VB

Barbora Štěpánová

prodavačka květin

Jana Marková

korpulentní žena

Lena Birková

uklízečka v bufetu

Gejza Gabčo

učeň

David Koranda

učeň

M. Lučan

učeň

Martin Rajser

učeň

Ivo Niederle

rozčílený muž v bufetu

Igor Smržík

pořadatel na diskotéce

Tatiana Kulíšková

moderátorka televizního pořadu Triangl

Jaroslav Choc

kadeřník

M. Paták

Jirka jako čtyřletý

Pavel Simich

revizor

Jaroslav Brůha

výčepní

Zdeněk Altynski

kominík

Zdeněk Hess

stavbyvedoucí

L. Chvojková

manekýna

M. Křivánková

manekýna

R. Pečená

manekýna

Jana Rubášová (2)

manekýna

Markéta Sodomková

manekýna

Michaela Srbová

manekýna

M. Stránská

manekýna

Jana Brychová

dívka na diskotéce

L. Honzíková

dívka na diskotéce

I. Punčochářová

dívka na diskotéce

M. Krýlová

dívka u Romana

Vladěna Šuleková

dívka u Romana

Iveta Lišková

dívka na sídlišti

Z. Horáková

dívka na sídlišti

Hana Forejtová

žena v autě

Marie Kadeřábková

distingovaná žena v Continentalu

Jiří Kadlec

distingovaný muž v Continentalu

Martin Moravec

kluk na diskotéce

I. Tomášková

dívka

Marta Světlíková-Šolcová

žena v okně

Luděk Jareš

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Josef Jarolímek

Assistant Director

Jan Menšík

Screenstory

Boris Janíček

Shooting Script

Jaroslav Soukup

Director of Photography

Vladimír Smutný

Second Unit Photography

Jiří Pechar

Camera Operator

Jan Carda

Production Designer

Jiří Matolín

Assistent Production Designer

Jindřich Kočí

Set Designer

Bohumil Kadlec, Jan Klíma, Karel Karas, Jaroslav Vích

Film Editor

Jiří Brožek

Assistant Film Editor

Věra Flaková, Eva Horázná

Sound Designer

Jiří Kejř, Jiří Hora

Assistant Sound Designer

Tomáš Červenka

Unit Production Manager

Adriena Jirková, Bohdan Kysil

Unit Production Manager

Miloš Matula, Danuše Vrbová

Cooperation

Klaudie Hepnerová (klapka), Miloš Schmiedberger (fotograf), V. Černý, Filip Smoljak, Karel Staněk, O. Jelínek, R. Suchý

Music

Music Composed by

Zdeněk Barták

Music Performed by

Kroky Františka Janečka (Music Conducted by Zdeněk Barták)

Choreographer

Jiří Rebec

Songs

Trhnout se

Song Composer Michal David
Writer of Lyrics Boris Janíček
Singer Rudolf Hrušínský nejml. [dab]Michal David

Když jsou doma galeje

Song Composer Zdeněk Barták
Writer of Lyrics Boris Janíček
Singer Rudolf Hrušínský nejml. [dab]Michal David

Co mi scházelo jsi byla ty

Song Composer Michal David
Writer of Lyrics Boris Janíček
Singer Rudolf Hrušínský nejml. [dab]Michal David

Hele, nemachruj

Song Composer František Janeček
Writer of Lyrics Boris Janíček
Singer Rudolf Hrušínský nejml. [dab]Michal David

Discopříběh

Song Composer Michal David
Writer of Lyrics Boris Janíček
Singer Rudolf Hrušínský nejml. [dab]Michal David

Vidím tě všude

Song Composer František Janeček
Writer of Lyrics Boris Janíček
Singer Rudolf Hrušínský nejml. [dab]Michal David

Je to blízko

Song Composer František Janeček
Writer of Lyrics Boris Janíček
Singer Rudolf Hrušínský nejml. [dab]Michal David

Katka

Song Composer Miro Žbirka
Writer of Lyrics Miro Žbirka
Singer Miro Žbirka

Production info

Original Title

Discopříběh

Czech Title

Discopříběh

English Title

Discostory

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

music

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1987

Production Year

1986

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 27 November 1985
start of filming 23 May 1986
technical Screenplay approved 18 June 1986
end of filming 20 January 1987
projection approval 30 January 1987

Premiere

premiere 1 September 1987 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

5. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Miloslav Vydra (vedoucí 5. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

82 min

Original length in metres

2 343 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

Awards

Vítěz

Event: 17. ročník čtenářské ankety týdeníku Květy ve spolupráci s Československou televizí a Ústřední půjčovnou filmů

1988
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Rudolf Hrušínský nejml.

Vítěz

Festival: 26. festival českých a slovenských filmů Brno

1988
Brno / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 38. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´87

1987
77 měst / Czechoslovakia
Jaroslav Soukup