Ceiling
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1961Production year
1961Premiere
15 March 1963Runtime
41 minDirector
Věra ChytilováCategory
filmGenre
étudeTypology
featuretheatrical distributionstudent filmmediumOriginal title
StropCzech title
StropEnglish title
CeilingWorking title
Taková hezká holkaSummary
A medium-length 1962 student graduation film made during Věra Chytilová’s time studying film directing at Prague’s FAMU academy. It sees Chytilová return to the familiar world of modelling, having herself briefly worked in this profession. The protagonist of the story is Marta, who works as a mannequin and appears to be contented. But a chance meeting with a former medical student colleague – Marta having dropped out of the course – exposes a figurative “ceiling” which boxes in the young woman’s comfortable and successful existence. To a certain extent, the character of Marta mirrors the reality of the woman portraying her – non-actress Marta Kaňkovská. But the story is chiefly a fictional one, and its primary focus is Chytilová’s favourite theme, namely emancipation. For many of the female characters in Chytilová’s films battle, often in vain, to extricate themselves from an existential stereotype. This documentary-style film also features a number of future celebrities of the Czechoslovak New Wave film scene, including fellow FAMU students Jiří Menzel and Miloš Forman. Strop was released along with Chytilová’s 1962 film Pytel blech (A Bag of Fleas) under the joint title of U stropu je pytel blech (There’s a Bag of Fleas by the Ceiling).
Synopsis
The life of the charming model Marta is one of unchanging routine. During the day fittings of dresses and costumes, preparation for the fashion show and in the evening presentation of new creations. Later in the evening a meeting with her boyfriend Julián in the Olympia Grill Bar and a night spent together. One day Marta meets her old schoolmate Honza in the street. Honza thinks that Marta is studying medicine in Prague. He introduces her to his friends Pepa and Jarda and they lunch together in the university refectory. After meeting students the same age as herself Marta realizes how meaningless her life is. A quarrel at night with the superficial Julián speeds up her decision and before morning she leaves the sleeping man. A journey through Prague at night takes her at dawn to a field of waving corn. Now Marta is sure that she can begin again. She is young and has her whole life in front of her.
Film online
Photos
Cast
Marta Kaňovská
manekýna Marta
Julián Chytil
Voice by Jiří Holý
Julián, Martin přítel
Jaroslav Satoranský
student Honza
Josef Abrhám
student Pepa
Ladislav Mrkvička
student Jarda
Jiří Menzel
student se stravenkou
Bob Adjali
zahraniční student
Beyene Afework
zahraniční student
Ludmila Píchová
Voice by Eva Klepáčová
zákaznice v kadeřnictví
Soňa Neumannová
starší žena
Helga Čočková
tančící dívka v baru
Miloš Forman
tančící muž v baru
Věra Uzelacová
žena u baru
Jiří Brdečka
muž u baru
Waldemar Matuška
on sám, zpěvák na ulici
Ríša Vonšovský
Ilonka Sedláčková
Karel Jiroušek
Jiří Cejnek
Olga Podskalská
manekýna
Alina Baranowská
Jiří Schulz
Božena Balíková
Anna Pitašová
manekýna
Růžena Poláková
manekýna
Dubbing
Miloš Kopecký
hlas muže v baru
Vlastimil Brodský
hlas Hajaji v rozhlasu
Jiří Sovák
hlas glosující fotografování
Jiří Zahajský
hlas studenta
Helga Čočková
hlas manekýny
Věra Chytilová
hlas manekýny
Crew and creators
Director
Screenstory
Screenplay
Director of Photography
Film Editor
Production Manager
Jan Černý, Jaromír Kallista (přípravné práce)
Unit Production Manager
Karel Kopš, Milana Melcerová
Pedagogical management
Otakar Vávra (režie), Václav Hanuš (kamera), Bohumil Šmída (produkce)
Cooperation
Jaroslav Skála (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
Songs
Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss auf Liebe eingestellt
Song Composer Friedrich Holländer
Writer of Lyrics Friedrich Holländer
Singer mužský hlas
Chlupatý kaktus
Song Composer E. F. Burian
Writer of Lyrics Josef Gruss
Singer Josef Abrhám [dab]Jiří Šlitr
Kočka na okně
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Waldemar Matuška
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
Singer Harry Richmond
Ach, ta láska nebeská
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Waldemar MatuškaEva Pilarová
Narcis
Song Composer Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin
Production info
Original Title
Strop
Czech Title
Strop
English Title
Ceiling
Working Title
Taková hezká holka
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distributionstudent film
Genre
étude
Student film
graduate film
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1961
Production Year
1961
Production specifications
projection approval 10 July 1962
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1971
Premiere
premiere 8 March 1963 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
premiere 15 March 1963 /suitable for youths/ (kino Praha /6 týdnů/, Praha)
Distribution slogan
Two stories about the young people of our day.
Production
Copyright Holders
Distribution
Technical info
Duration typology
medium length film
Duration in minutes
41 min
Original length in metres
1 168 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm
Aspect ratio
1:1,37
Colour
black & white
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Exhibition: 9. západoněmecké dny krátkého filmu Oberhausen
1963
Oberhausen / Federal Republic of Germany
Vítěz
Festival: Studentský filmový festival „Cinestudio 1963“ Amsterdam
1963
Amsterdam / the Netherlands
Vítěz
Festival: 7. mezinárodní filmový festival Londýn
1963
Londýn / Great Britain
Vítěz
Festival: 5. mezinárodní festival dokumentárních a experimentálních filmů Montevideo
1962
Montevideo / Uruguay
Vítěz
Festival: 4. festival českých a slovenských filmů Košice
1962
Košice / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Festival: 8. světový festival mládeže a studentstva Helsinki
1962
Helsinky / Finland
Věra Chytilová
