This 1989 film from director Václav Matějka seeks to tell an environmental and ethical tale set in the world of manufacturing. Uzavřený okruh (Closed Circuit, 1989) is inspired by the short story Slunce pro můj den (Sun for My Day) from author Jiří S. Kupka, who also contributed to the screenplay adaptation. The story describes a clash between two morally contrasting expert professionals: experienced engineer Zikmund (Ladislav Lakomý), whose projects regularly cause environmental devastation, and the environmentally enlightened young engineer Karel Kalaš (Pavol Višňovský). Despite the fact that Zikmund’s daughter is engaged to the son of an ore mine director, she develops a relationship with Karel. The affair results in the death of an innocent bicyclist, Karel’s imprisonment, and his resignation from the “closed circuit” world of opportunism and power.
The big industrial enterprises cause an ecological catastrophe in the Dřínovské Mountains. The enemies are the so-called captains of Czechoslovak industry, linked in a "closed circuit" by mutual services, favouritism and bribes with those in power at the regional offices and the Prague ministry. One of them is an engineer called Zikmund whose construction project of yet another steelworks will result in total devastation of the countryside. A rather different project was put together by a young engineer called Honza Kala, in collaboration with the ecologists. It is based on a "closed circuit" of wasteless technology. At a mascarade ball, Honza meets Zikmund's daughter Karla who flirts with him openly although she is engaged to the son of the general director of the ore mines, Burda. Karla and Honza soon become lovers. Honza does not cease fighting for his project even though his ex-wife Marta, a lawyer, indicates to him that he has no chance. Zikmund, learning about his daughter's affair with Kala, flies into a rage and insists on her immediate wedding with the young Burda. Honza says goodbye to Karla at a cottage and gets drunk. Karla is driving on the way back and runs down a cyclist who later dies. The girl runs away and leaves the sleeping Honza in the car. He, however, does not remember anything the next day. Karla obeys her father's advice and claims that it was Honza who was driving. Zikmund's influential contacts interfere at the court and Honza is sentenced to four years in prison. Zikmund's project wins the competition and the construction is launched. But two years later it turns out that the construction cannot be continued according to the plans, and Zikmund must rework the project. He unscrupulously uses Honza's ideas. Honza is released from prison and finds work at a sawmill. He does not want to return to his previous profession - he cannot reconcile himself with the success of people like Zikmund and his daughter who are capable of destroying everything and everybody.
ing. Jan Kalaš
ing. Karel Zikmund
Karla, Zikmundova dcera
ekolog Ruda Mikula, Kalašův přítel
ekonom Standa Burda, Karlin snoubenec
ředitel rudných dolů, Standův otec
ministerský úředník Jiří Horák, Karlin strýc
ing. Věra Šípová, Karlina kamarádka
právnička Marta, Kalašova bývalá žena
včelař děda Jančák
docent Kříž, ředitel ekologického střediska
profesor Hulík
ředitelka umělecké agentury Pavla, Zikmundova žena
Průcha
Tonda Karas, Kalašův bývalý spolužák
poštovní úřednice Maruška
stavbyvedoucí Jarolímek
JUDr. Vladimír Gruber, Martin přítel
soused Petřek
Svoboda
Burdová, Standova matka
Horákova manželka
Jarmila
Ježková
ředitel stavby ing. Alex
Alexova manželka
soudce
kapitán Sychra
podporučík Mařík
podporučík Hájek
sekretářka Marcela
železničář Tomeš
vyšetřovatel
poručík VB
Jarolímková
redaktor Dezort
Hanička
předseda komise Fajtl
sekretářka Soňa
Miss Evropa
malíř Jonáš
televizní redaktor
režisérka KF
kameraman KF
Vávra
vězeň Francl
Boženka, Karasova žena
šéfredaktor
redaktor
barmanka
ředitel Dohnal
kameraman TV
zvukař TV
asistent zvukaře
osvětlovač TV
produkční TV
Golem
babka Petřeková
fotograf
zpěvačka
muzikant
muzikant
muzikant
muzikant
muzikant
muzikant
muzikant
muzikant
muzikant
muzikant
muzikant
muzikant v Rubínu
muzikant v Rubínu
muzikant v Rubínu
tetka
lesník
Tonda Ras
redaktorka
tenistka
tenista
tenista
barman v Rubínu
Karlina kamarádka
Karlina kamarádka
úřednice
harmonikář
hlas ing. Kalaše
hlas dědy Jančáka
hlas Hulíka
hlas Francla
komentář televizního dokumentu
Josef Sandr
Oskar Reif, Michaela Kopřivová
Jiří S. Kupka (Slunce pro můj den – filmová povídka)
Michal Škoda
Josef Mysliveček (autor obrazů)
Bedřich Čermák, Rudolf Beneš, Jaroslav Lehman
Simona Jáklová (dubl za Veroniku Jeníkovou)
Daniela Jenčíková, Josef Štambach
Milan Maňák
JUDr. Jan Dyk, JUDr. František Fiala, RNDr. Karel Friedel, ak. arch. Milan Podzemný, RNDr. Pavel Štrunc
Milada Adámková, Ivan Balurov, Ivan Minář
Mario Klemens (FISYO)
Já sny mám, Pod jalovec sedla, Árie měsíce
Jiří F. Svoboda (Já sny mám), Jiří Šlitr (Árie měsíce)
Pavel Vrba (Já sny mám), Jiří Suchý (Árie měsíce)
Lucie Bílá (Já sny mám), sbor (Pod jalovec sedla), Karel Heřmánek (Árie měsíce), Pavol Višňovský [dab] (Árie měsíce), Ladislav Mrkvička (Árie měsíce)
Uzavřený okruh
Closed Circuit
film
feature
drama
Czechoslovakia
1989
1989
1 May 1989
long
98 min
Czech