At a village railway station in occupied Czechoslovakia, a bumbling dispatcher’s apprentice longs to liberate himself from his virginity. Oblivious to the war and the resistance that surrounds him, this young man embarks on a journey of sexual awakening and self-discovery, encountering a universe of frustration, eroticism, and adventure within his sleepy backwater depot. Wry and tender, Academy Award-winning Closely Observed Trains is a masterpiece of human observation and one of the best-loved films of the Czechoslovak New Wave.
Jiří Menzel, Czechoslovakia, 1966, 93m.
Cast: Václav Neckář, Jitka Scoffin, Vladimír Valenta, Libuše Havelková
Cert.: 15
The screening on Wednesday 9 September will be introduced by the close friend of Jiří Menzel: film critic, broadcaster, and lecturer Phillip Bergson.
Screenings:
Wednesday 9 September 2026, 6pm + Intro
Friday 18 September 2026, 6.30pm
Thursday 15 October 2026, 4pm
In partnership with:
Part of Czechoslovak New Wave season at The Garden Cinema and part of the 30th Made in Prague Festival organised by the Czech Centre.
The Made in Prague Festival is kindly supported by:
