Baltic Cinema: Panelstory, or How a Housing Development is Born

Life is a construction site for the tenants of the only partially finished prefab housing development in Prague. About Thu 19 Nov | 18:30 £6 / £4.50* per person (adv 12) Dirs. Věra Chytilová Czechoslovakia / 1979 / 1h 36m A brand-new restoration of famed Czech director Věra Chytilová’s hilarious satire Panelstory. A brand-new restoration of famed Czech director Věra Chytilová’s hilarious satire Panelstory, which brings her lightness of touch to a subject which touches us all: do you help to shape your environment or are you shaped by it? Life is a construction site for the tenants of the only partially finished prefab housing development in Prague. Between the buildings, young mothers struggle to push their prams through mounds of mud. And things are not any better inside. Věra Chytilová’s film depicts one day in that construction chaos through the eyes of a handful of people of various ages who must deal with the hodgepodge of permanently makeshift solutions in what was conceived as a ‘garden city’. In 2002, the director said: “It’s not a critical reaction to the regime; it’s more actually a view of human behaviour.” Nonetheless, her amusing social satire was held back by the authorities and not shown in Czechoslovakia until 1981. (Berlinale) ​‘Wonderfully enjoyable, hilarious, and touching all at once … We find Chytilová at the height of her powers as a filmmaker, combining her characteristically wild shooting style, farcical elements, wonderful use of music, and intricate storytelling abilities’ —Kay Armatage, TIFF Baltic Cinema is supported by Film Hub North with National Lottery funding on behalf of the BFI Film Audience Network Doors open 18:00; Film starts 18:30. Pop-up cinema bar open from 18:00 for drinks. *Concessions: under 18s, unwaged & 65+ Read more Toggle Film / Video