In 1978, director Karel Kachyňa made two films from one budget: the summer comedy Setkání v červenci (Meeting in July) and a poetic story of an adolescent young girl called Čekání na déšť (Waiting for the Rain). The protagonist of the story is 12-year-old Alena, who spends the hot summer holidays alone at home in a Prague apartment complex. Alena engages in both real and invented encounters with her neighbours, primarily the blind Taraba and soldier Pavel, who is just getting over a relationship heartbreak. The anxiously awaited rains permit Alena to momentarily forget the complicated adult world, with which she is having her first contact… This sensitive examination of a child’s-eye view forms one of many of Karel Kachyňa’s films in which the director examines the world through the eyes of young protagonists. Dita Kaplanová debuts in the starring role.
Twelve-year-old Alena has had to leave the countryside on a blazing hot summer day and come back home to a block of flats on the outskirts of Prague. She spends most of the day on her own, amusing herself daydreaming and imagining, on the blazing hot building roof awaiting the rain. Her mother is at work all day and her friends are still away on holidays. Alena is keen on the actor Budil and puts on her best clothes for him each day, running out onto the street carrying her mother's handbag. A ginger-haired boy mocks her behaviour, while the actor hardly even looks at her. The lonely girl reacts sensitively to everything going on around her. She visits the blind Taraba and is happy to look after his dog when the man has to go to hospital to be examined before surgery. She does not fail to notice the grief of the neighbour's son Pavel, a soldier drowning his unhappy love affair in alcohol. Cheered up by the young girl on the brink of adulthood, Pavel finally forgets his heartache. Before returning to his regiment, Pavel asks Alena for a photograph and invites her to see him off. But at the station Alena catches sight of Pavel's girlfriend, who wants to get the boy back. Alena, in whom the friendship with Pavel has aroused a fragile, vague emotion, runs away without saying good-bye. Back in the neighbourhood, she meets the Ginger-head who tries to make up for his mockery by talking about Mr Taraba. Suddenly the long-awaited rain has finally come. The two children hop about in the rain joyfully and Alena is a happy little girl again.
The film was budgeted together with the picture Meeting in July, doth films were shot simultaneously.
Alena Kadlecová
vojín Pavel Suchan
Alenina matka
slepý pan Taraba
Rudolf Suchan, Pavlův otec
Zrzek
Pavlova dívka
soused Kamil Duda
herec Milan Budil
babka v samoobsluze
nadporučík, velitel hlídky
listonoška
Dudova milenka
pokladní v samoobsluze
starší prodavačka
venkovská žena
učednice Vlasta
Budilova přítelkyně
mladší prodavačka
žena z televizní obrazovky
muž z obrazovky
cválající jezdec
komentátor
komentátor
Paclt
Alenin otec
Stanislava Hutková
Karel Smrž, Josef Večerek, Jiří Žůček
Markéta Weissová, Vlasta Synkulová, Jaroslav Kučera
Dana Průchová (klapka), Pavel Brodil (vrchní osvětlovač), Vladimír Souček (fotograf), George Pokrovskij (práce se zvířaty)
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Song Composer tradicionál
Song Composer Bohuslav Ondráček
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Naďa Urbánková
Song Composer Jiří Šlitr
Writer of Lyrics Jiří Suchý
Singer Waldemar MatuškaEva Pilarová
Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer Zdeněk ŘehořDita Kaplanová
Čekání na déšť
Čekání na déšť
Waiting for the Rain
film
featuretheatrical distribution
children, psychological
Czechoslovakia
1978
1977—1978
literary Screenplay approved 23 July 1976
start of filming 1 February 1977
technical Screenplay approved 4 April 1977
end of filming 6 January 1978
projection approval 16 February 1978
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1991
premiere 13 October 1978 /suitable for youths/
Dramaturgická skupina Oty Hofmana, Ota Hofman (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
feature film
68 min
1 988 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,66
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech
Festival: Mezinárodní festival dětských filmů Linec
1979
Linec / Austria
Event: 17. mezinárodní soutěž filmů pro děti a mládež Gijón
1979
Gijón / Spain
Event: 17. mezinárodní soutěž filmů pro děti a mládež Gijón
1979
Gijón / Spain
Event: Soutěž belgických filmových distributorů Brusel
1979
Brusel / Belgium
Festival: 18. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov
1978
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Dita Kaplanová
Festival: 18. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov
1978
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Festival: 18. festival filmů pro děti Gottwaldov
1978
Zlín / Czechoslovakia
Exhibition: 10. národní přehlídka filmů pro děti Ostrov nad Ohří
1978
Ostrov nad Ohří / Czechoslovakia
Dita Kaplanová