Silence of the Larks

The classical music composer Josef Chvála is oversensitive to metropolitan noise and superficial human relationships. He learns that his most recent composition is too demanding to perform and his requirements are impossible to realize. He thus decides to leave for his native village of Dubí. But he cannot find peace there, either. Brass music roars all over from the village speakers and his brother Venda, the deputy-director of the local construction enterprise and, simultaneously, the leading official of the village national committee, is loudly summoning everybody to some temporary work. Oversized and unnecessary constructions keep appearing in the village. The widely popular concrete is even in the backyard of Venda's detached house so that it can be easily vacuum cleaned up. Josef's sister and her husband build a villa with several bathrooms even though their plot has no water. They later plan to sell the cottage profitably. The brothers' totally different lifestyles result in a harsh quarrel. Josef gets injured in it and returns to Prague. Venda's local opponent, Béďa, gossips about the brothers' fight but Venda disclaims it and moreover lies that Josef promised to compose a polka for the local brass orchestra. Their old father Chvála talks Josef into returning to the village. The musician is accompanied by his girlfriend Irena who reconciles everybody by her kindness. Josef, however, has an unconditional requirement: Venda must return the forest alleys, which he arbitrarily blacktopped, to their original condition. The village brass orchestra eventually finds Josef's polka too demanding to perform but its professional version is broadcast on the radio and Venda triumphs. Josef, immersed in his own world, composes his next opus in his Prague flat, having no idea that he has been left by his hitherto patient Irena and that Venda is just festivaly opening a new monstrous forest park in spite of his previous promises.