Director Dušan Klein and author and screenwriter Ladislav Pecháček created films together outside the popular “Poets” series. They also cooperated in their respective roles in the making of Vážení přátelé, ano (Yes, My Dear Friends!, 1989), a well conceived satire that premiered in cinemas only one month ahead of the Velvet Revolution. The narrative successfully juxtaposes the pitiful condition of the main protagonist, beset by an incapacitating mid-life crisis, with that of the socialist regime of the late 1980s, teetering on the brink of collapse. The clerk Bohouš Fischer, superbly portrayed by Milan Lasica, is promoted to deputy director of a company manufacturing sanitary wares. Rather than devote himself to office work, where his indifference and systematic indolence have so far been well rewarded, he is instead drawn to “creative” work, building a tile stove. Bohouš’s personal life, which includes two rebellious daughters and a few vain attempts at adultery, is full of resolutions to implement change which are as half-hearted as the daily operations of Fortuna, the toilet-making company.
Bohouš Fischer, an official of the state enterprise Fortuna, which produces ceramic sanitary products, and father of two teenage twins Hanka and Kamila, is promoted to the position of deputy director. He is still in love with his wife Anděla, a bioscientist and amateur theatre actress. His parents are in a retirement home. The mother drinks because the father "sides" with the old fat Bečicová. Bohouš has objections both to his daughters' clothes and behaviour, but the girls do not take his remarks seriously. Visiting the family of his friend Berka, Bohouš and Pepík Berka get drunk in a cellar and Bohouš discovers a stove fitter's tile which Berka's father produced. He also finds moulds and tools. He is tired of his white-collar career and decides to build a tiled stove. The enterprise has a conference with deputy minister Římský at a château. Here, Římský gets to like the only surviving tiled stove. He wants it at home. The tantalizing assistant slides into Bohouš's room at night but no love making comes out of it. Římský, on the contrary, is having a good time with a cultural officer. Bohouš must solve his daughters' problems with Russian lessons at school and the teacher of Russian unscrupulously invites him to her flat. But she suffers from a bilious attack even before it comes to making love. Bohouš does not enjoy his work and the conditions in the enterprise, and thus starts realizing his dream: he builds a tiled stove in the château. Římský again likes it and wants it again, this time in his cottage. Bohouš promises to build him another one. But he will have no time for it because he is to be appointed the company's director. One of the benefits of his position is a director's Tatra 613 car and Bohouš gets in. The stove which he had built falls apart during a storm.
Ing. Bohumil Fischer
bioložka Anděla, Bohoušova žena
dvojče Hanka, dcera Fischerových
dvojče Kamila, dcera Fischerových
ekonomický náměstek a ředitel Evžen Dlask
sekretářka Monika
náměstek ministra Římský
samostatný referent Václav Wohanka
Bohoušův otec
Bohoušova matka
Jíra, Bohoušův bratr
Jírova žena
MUDr. Pepík Berka, Bohoušův kamarád
režisérka Ivana, Berkova žena
ruštinářka Jelizaveta zvaná Líza
kulturní referentka Jarmila Spišáková
ředitel Fortuny Jan Brunclík
JUDr. Klouda, podnikový právník
Ládíček, člen úrazové komise
předseda ZV ROH Mirek Kudrnáč
dělník, člen úrazové komise
Stach, člen úrazové komise
Jankůj
Blanka
Andělin šéf a ochotnický herec
strážný
náměstek
zdravotní sestra Janička
trafikantka
správce Paleček
referentka
referentka
host
host
host
host
host/dílovedoucí
hosteska
hosteska
tajemník
tajemník
tajemník MNV
moderátor
prodavačka
prodavačka
řečník
náměstek
zpěvák
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
hudebník
Ladislav Pecháček (Vážení přátelé, ano – román)
Irena Ladýřová, Ivo Pitrák, Olga Zelenská
Vlastimil Pokorný
Lenka Hlavičková (klapka), Vladislav Knapp (fotograf), Václav Knapp
Studiový orchestr (Music Conducted by Petr Hapka)
Song Composer Petr Hapka
Writer of Lyrics Michal Horáček
Singer Petr Hapka
Song Composer Petr Hapka
Writer of Lyrics Michal Horáček
Singer Michael Kocáb
Song Composer Matvej Isaakovič Blantěr
Song Composer Petr Hapka
Song Composer František PoupěJosef Svárovský
Writer of Lyrics František PoupěJosef Svárovský
Singer Milan LasicaJúlius Satinský
Song Composer František Blahník
Writer of Lyrics František Blahník
Singer Milan LasicaJúlius Satinský
Song Composer lidová americká píseň
Writer of Lyrics Ivo Fischer
Singer sbor
Song Composer lidová píseň
Song Composer Petr Hapka
Writer of Lyrics Michal Horáček
Singer Hana Hegerová
Song Composer Petr Hapka
Song Composer Andrej Lieskovský
Writer of Lyrics Vladimír Pospíšil (2)
Singer V. Vlach
Song Composer Ján Siváček
Writer of Lyrics Katarína Hudecová
Singer V. Vlach
Song Composer Václav Dobiáš
Song Composer Jaroslav Ježek
Writer of Lyrics Jiří VoskovecJan Werich
Singer Milan Lasica
Singer sbor
Singer Milan Lasica
Vážení přátelé, ano
Vážení přátelé, ano
Yes, My Dear Friends!
film
featuretheatrical distribution
comedy, satire
Czechoslovakia
1989
1989
start of filming 2 January 1989
end of filming 7 March 1989
the first film copy approved 11 May 1989
projection approval 9 June 1989
withdrawal from distribution 1 August 1993
premiere 1 October 1989 /unsuitable for youths/
5. tvůrčí skupina, Miloslav Vydra (vedoucí 5. tvůrčí skupiny)
feature film
109 min
3 121 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech