03/07/2024 - Jiří Mádl intertwines personal drama and political intrigue against the backdrop of the Prague Spring and the Warsaw Pact invasion, creating a tale of journalistic heroism

The Prague Spring serves as the backdrop for Jiří Mádl’s latest drama, the Karlovy Vary IFF Special Screening Waves [+see also:
trailer
interview: Jiří Mádl
film profile], set in the tumultuous late 1960s within Czechoslovak Radio. The story focuses on a group of journalists who risk everything to provide independent news amidst state censorship and harassment by the secret police. Central to the film are two orphaned brothers caught in the struggle for freedom. As was the case for the period fraternal thriller Brothers [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tomáš Mašín
film profile] by Tomáš Mašín, Mádl, who also wrote the script, draws on true events to depict the heroism of ordinary people against the regime, intertwining personal stories with well-known historical events. However, unlike Brothers and its sombre tone, Waves is a larger-scale endeavour in terms of production values. In its ambitions and international appeal, Waves follows in the footsteps of last year’s breakout film Restore Point [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Robert Hloz
film profile], also introduced at Karlovy Vary.

Shouldering the weight of responsibility, elder brother Tomáš (Vojtěch Vodochodský) works while ensuring that 17-year-old Pavel (Ondřej Stupka) continues his studies. Pavel, meanwhile, gets together with his peers to protest non-violently against the communist regime. In an accidental twist, Tomáš secures a job at Czechoslovak Radio as a technician, working for a group of journalists committed to upholding integrity and defying the Communist Party's censorship. This commitment to free news inevitably attracts the attention of the secret police, placing Tomáš in a dilemma: whether to protect his brother or his colleagues, as his journey evolves into a more overarching battle for truth and justice. This transformation is emblematic of the broader societal awakening and resistance during the Prague Spring, reflecting the moral dilemmas faced by individuals under oppressive regimes. Waves intertwines personal and political stories, using Tomáš’s journey to highlight the broader context of the Prague Spring. Mádl's direction strikes a good balance between the personal struggles of the characters and the sweeping historical events they navigate, creating a dynamic portrait of resistance.

Mádl’s debut film, To See the Sea [+see also:
film review
film profile], explored childhood and familial relationships in a coming-of-age context, while his sophomore effort, On the Roof [+see also:
trailer
film profile], tackled social issues through the lens of an unlikely friendship. With Waves, Mádl shifts his focus to a broader canvas, in both historical and production terms. This latest drama is his most ambitious project to date, with international appeal. Although the film follows the blueprint of local period dramas set during the communist era, usually depicting a fight for survival against the system, Mádl makes the story more accessible to those unfamiliar with the real-life personalities it portrays, such as Milan Weiner, Věra Šťovíčková, Jan Petránek, Luboš Dobrovský and Jiří Dienstbier. The director employs an Americanised narrative structure, crafting the script according to the Hollywood playbook and openly acknowledging Argo as a major reference.

The film combines personal drama and political thriller, focusing on the tension between personal loyalty, professional duty and the fight for freedom. The story blends coming-of-age elements, a romantic subplot, period melodrama and political intrigue. Mádl employs a fast-paced, twist-based narrative pace that makes the 131-minute running time engaging. The film's release is timely, resonating with contemporary issues of censorship, misinformation and the journalistic fight for the truth. The historical parallel with the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia adds further topical relevance. By intertwining personal dramas with political predicament, Mádl ensures the film resonates with an international audience, especially the young generation, while preserving the essence of the local story.

Waves is a Czech-Slovak co-production staged by Dawson Films and co-produced by Wandal Production. Urban Sales handles the international rights.