7th(2005)
The Ceiling / Strop
Věra CHYTILOVÁ
- Czech Republic
- 1962
- 42min
- 35mm
- black and white
SYNOPSIS
Even at its medium-length, The Ceiling is an unusual example of mature filmmaking and is an early expression of Chytilová feminist voice and critical attitude. Based on Chytilová personal experience in the world of fashion modeling, the film shows how our desires to escape the boredom of daily life is destined to fail through the story of a female model who realizes emptiness in materialism and exploitation in the modeling industry.
Abandoning all the serious, and ordinary things in her life, the female protagonist steps into the glittering, alluring world of fashion, but only to collapse in front of an invisible wall preventing her from soaring as a supermodel. The film suggests that it is the social, material restrictions around her that cause her to sprain her ankle on the one hand, and her insincerity and self-induced insecurities on the other. Despite its reigning pessimism, the film’s energy never slips away and its subtle auras can be read as an influence from the French “Nouvelle Vague.” Walking in the spaces of the1960’s revolting, yet romantic youth culture, the female protagonist reminds us of Cléo in Agnès Varda’s Cléo de 5 à 7. In addition, the existentialist attitude towards life and the playful attitude towards the camera make this film both philosophical and electric. (Joo You-shin)
Abandoning all the serious, and ordinary things in her life, the female protagonist steps into the glittering, alluring world of fashion, but only to collapse in front of an invisible wall preventing her from soaring as a supermodel. The film suggests that it is the social, material restrictions around her that cause her to sprain her ankle on the one hand, and her insincerity and self-induced insecurities on the other. Despite its reigning pessimism, the film’s energy never slips away and its subtle auras can be read as an influence from the French “Nouvelle Vague.” Walking in the spaces of the1960’s revolting, yet romantic youth culture, the female protagonist reminds us of Cléo in Agnès Varda’s Cléo de 5 à 7. In addition, the existentialist attitude towards life and the playful attitude towards the camera make this film both philosophical and electric. (Joo You-shin)
PROGRAM NOTE
Even at its medium-length, The Ceiling is an unusual example of mature filmmaking and is an early expression of Chytilová feminist voice and critical attitude. Based on Chytilová personal experience in the world of fashion modeling, the film shows how our desires to escape the boredom of daily life is destined to fail through the story of a female model who realizes emptiness in materialism and exploitation in the modeling industry.
Abandoning all the serious, and ordinary things in her life, the female protagonist steps into the glittering, alluring world of fashion, but only to collapse in front of an invisible wall preventing her from soaring as a supermodel. The film suggests that it is the social, material restrictions around her that cause her to sprain her ankle on the one hand, and her insincerity and self-induced insecurities on the other. Despite its reigning pessimism, the film’s energy never slips away and its subtle auras can be read as an influence from the French “Nouvelle Vague.” Walking in the spaces of the1960’s revolting, yet romantic youth culture, the female protagonist reminds us of Cléo in Agnès Varda’s Cléo de 5 à 7. In addition, the existentialist attitude towards life and the playful attitude towards the camera make this film both philosophical and electric. (Joo You-shin)
Abandoning all the serious, and ordinary things in her life, the female protagonist steps into the glittering, alluring world of fashion, but only to collapse in front of an invisible wall preventing her from soaring as a supermodel. The film suggests that it is the social, material restrictions around her that cause her to sprain her ankle on the one hand, and her insincerity and self-induced insecurities on the other. Despite its reigning pessimism, the film’s energy never slips away and its subtle auras can be read as an influence from the French “Nouvelle Vague.” Walking in the spaces of the1960’s revolting, yet romantic youth culture, the female protagonist reminds us of Cléo in Agnès Varda’s Cléo de 5 à 7. In addition, the existentialist attitude towards life and the playful attitude towards the camera make this film both philosophical and electric. (Joo You-shin)
Director
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Věra CHYTILOVÁVěra CHYTILOVÁ
Director and screenplay writer, born in Ostrava in 1929. From the beginning of her career, Věra CHYTILOVÁ’s works were daring and original. Her talent to observe ordinary, everyday things in an unconventional way and from unexpected angles, made her different from the general run of film directors. Her major works include A Bagful of Fleas, Something Different, Pearls of the Deep, Fruit of Paradise and The Apple Game, which were screened and awarded at a number of festivals. Věra CHYTILOVÁ is the one of the representative figures in Czech film and is also known as the leader of the ‘Czech New Wave’ of the sixties.
Credit
- Cast Marta Kanovská Julián Chytil, Josef
- Screenwriter Věra Chytilová
- Cinematography Jaromír Sofr
- Editor Antonín Zelenka
- Music Jan Klusák
