A ballad story from the life of the inhabitants of the Moravian Beskydy Mountains. The heroine is a young woman, Františka Plesníková. Františka's lover was killed by a falling tree before he could marry her, and the girl faced the bitter fate of a "roll" of illegitimate mother. Františka fought with all her might for a better life for her son Metúdek. For his sake, she eventually married an old widower farmer, Podešva. However, she soon realized that her marriage had not benefited either herself or her child.
Cinematography
Beskydy Mountains as gorgeous prison.
Acting
Nina Jiránková's face does ALL the work.
Director
Vladimír Vlček
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'roll' (cikánka) was a real Moravian social category for unwed mothers—this film documents a dying rural world.
Vladimír Vlček was primarily a documentarian; this rare fiction film preserves authentic Beskydy dialect and customs.
XC
