Good-looking Edita Beningerová (Jana Brejchová) arrives at a chemical factory in the North Bohemian town of Ústí nad Labem together with her young assistant Nada (Zlata Adamovská). She is hoping that her ex-husband, outstanding practical chemical engineer Vik Panc (Eduard Cupák), will help her conduct an experiment to validate her proposed theoretical method of isolating cholesterol from lanolin. The success of Edita's invention is crucial for her career at the Prague Institute of Chemistry. Vik's roommate from his hostel Bréta (Ivan Vyskocil) is thrilled. He will finally meet the mysterious and fascinating Edita about whom he has learned so much from Vik.
Acting
Brejchová's magnetic presence as the unattainable Edita
Direction
Jireš finds poetry in industrial decay
Director
Jaromil Jireš
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Vladimír Páral's 1971 novel, loosely inspired by Moby-Dick's monomaniacal pursuit.
Shot during the Normalization era; the chemical factory setting subtly critiques planned economy stagnation.
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