A Woman in Every Room

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1974

Production year

1973—1974

Premiere

25 October 1974

Runtime

99 min

Category

film

Genre

psychological

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

V každém pokoji žena

Czech title

V každém pokoji žena

English title

A Woman in Every Room

Working title

V tomto roce v tomto dni...

Summary

In 1974, director Jaroslav Balík decided to relate the stories found within Prague’s Ženské domovy [note: women’s home for working single women]. Balík was assisted in adapting the tales he heard from women of all ages and backgrounds by author and screenwriter Jan Otčenášek. The lives of the inhabitants of the women’s home are all linked by a common desire to find a partner: Jiřina has managed to marry, but her protégé, salesgirl Soňa, bemoans her friend’s departure from the facility. Marriage poses a problem for Zuzana, too, as she is seeing married man Richard. A new arrival in the home, Vlasta, tries in vain to rekindle a relationship with her husband, who has recently returned from exile. It seems that only trade union official Anežka has a chance at a secure relationship. The film’s protagonists assist each other in overcoming their respective issues. The large female cast offered director Balík the opportunity to feature a number of talented actresses, including Marta Vančurová, Ida Rapaičová, Marie Rosůlková and Hana Maciuchová.

Synopsis

Vlasta has moved to a women's hostel located in one street of Prague's Old Town. She takes the place of Jiřina, who has left the hostel after getting married. The wedding was a true feast, only a shop-assistant Soňa cannot get over Jiřina's departure and sees it as a betrayal. This shy girl grew up in a children's home and thus grew very close to her room-mate. The rational Vlasta completely rejects Soňa's tears. Women living in the hostel are of different ages, characters and also experience. Zuzana shows off with her great love, Richard, who is in reality a married man and sees the girl only as a means of entertainment. Two oldest inhabitants of the hostel - lieutenant's widow nicknamed generálka (The General) and the usherette called Kalvodová - are constantly quarrelling. Vlasta works in a bus repair garage and is very cautious about courting the handsome engineer called Bém. On a trip to Sázava, Vlasta refuses Bém's proposal of marriage. In a fit of rage, she then tells the co-inhabitants of a hostel many hurtful truths about their lives. Kalvodová, whose fiancé was killed during the Nazi occupation, begs Vlasta to spare the quarrelsome General. Vlasta is embarrassed. What is more, Zuzana in despair attempts to commit suicide. Anežka, active in the Trade Unions, meets her ex-husband and the now mature relationship leads to their re-marriage. Vlasta is happy that her husband returns from a four-year emigration, although the relationship ends as both of them have changed. Zuzana becomes wiser. Even Soňa finds her own independence. Aided by Bém, Vlasta starts demanding studying.

Cast

Ida Rapaičová

autoopravářka Vlasta Bezděková

Antonie Hegerliková

odborová funkcionářka Anežka Faltová

Hana Maciuchová

Zuzana Šmídová, úřednice Čedoku

Marta Vančurová

prodavačka nábytku Soňa

Eva Svobodová

uvaděčka Kalvodová

Marie Rosůlková

vdova po podporučíkovi zvaná Generálka

Libuše Švormová

letuška Lída

Eva Čeřovská

kadeřnice Ivanka

Libuše Geprtová

ošetřovatelka Jiřina

Jaroslav Satoranský

vedoucí autoopravny Ing. Honza Bém

Vladimír Brabec

Zbyněk, Vlastin manžel

Jaroslav Moučka

Vojta, Anežčin bývalý manžel

Jan Teplý

Ing. Richard Jakš, Zuzanin milenec

Ferdinand Krůta

Hynšt, mistr v autoopravně

Gustav Heverle

automechanik Berka

Karel Augusta

automechanik Bandaska

Vlastimil Hašek

automechanik Jindra

Antonín Soukup

vrátný Chvátal

Zdeněk Deyl

Jarda, Ivančin přítel

Eva Vytlačilová

Jitka

Kateřina Frýbová

Alena, Zuzanina kolegyně

Jan Kuděla

fotoreportér

Jaroslav Chlasták

fotoreportér

Miloslav Homola

funkcionář

Jan Kraus

dělník

Alena Kryštofková

sekretářka u Faltové

Rudolf Vodrážka

Rudolf, Jiřinin ženich

Jiří Malý

mladík

Eva Kůsová

dívka ve sprše/žena za oknem

Daniela Šauerová

dívka ve sprše

Josef Havlín

hudebník

Vítězslav Brandejský

hudebník

Karel Kos

hudebník

Sláva Kunst

hudebník

Vadim Petrov

hudebník

Jana Nácovská

dubl za Idu Rapaičovou – jízda na motocyklu

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Elmar Kloss

Assistant Director

Jiří Kratochvíl, Hana Cvejnová

Shooting Script

Jaroslav Balík

Dramaturg

Josef Bouček

Director of Photography

Jiří Macháně

Second Unit Photography

Viktor Růžička

Camera Operator

Vojtěch Kuthan

Production Designer

Zbyněk Hloch

Assistent Production Designer

Michael Poledník

Set Designer

Jiří Bžoch, Karel Kracík, Dana Smržová

Costume Designer

Irena Greifová

Assistant Film Editor

Eva Horázná

Sound Designer

Roman Hloch

Production Manager

Karel Kochman

Unit Production Manager

Petra Havlínová, Ladislav Beneš

Unit Production Manager

Pavel Mangl

Cooperation

Ivana Švejdová (klapka), Oldřich Křesina (vrchní osvětlovač), Jan Kuděla (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Karel Mareš

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Songs

Každodenní den

Song Composer Karel Mareš
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Petra Janů

Hvězdy ve Splitu nad mořem /Daleko me moj Split/

Song Composer Ivo Tijardović
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Voldán
Singer ženský sbor

Production info

Original Title

V každém pokoji žena

Czech Title

V každém pokoji žena

English Title

A Woman in Every Room

Working Title

V tomto roce v tomto dni...

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

psychological

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1974

Production Year

1973—1974

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 22 October 1973
start of filming 1 November 1973
technical Screenplay approved 20 December 1973
end of filming 4 July 1974
projection approval 10 July 1974
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1986

Premiere

gala premiere 9 October 1974 (kino Lucerna, Praha)
premiere 10 October 1974 /unsuitable for youths/ (kino Lucerna, Praha)
premiere 25 October 1974 /unsuitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Studio

Hostivař

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Vladimíra Kaliny, Vladimír Kalina (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

99 min

Original length in metres

2 780 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66

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: Múzy pražských diváků

1975
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Marta Vančurová

Vítěz

Event: Literární soutěž k 25. výročí Února

1974
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jan Otčenášek

Vítěz

Event: Literární soutěž k 25. výročí Února

1974
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Jaroslav Balík