Occasional Journal II

A brisk, wry patchwork of satirical sketches that pokes fun at everyday absurdities with ironic narration and a playful student-film energy.

Directed by

Jaromír Borek, Juraj Jakubisko

Overview

This collective project by third-year directing and cinematography students builds on the socially engaged, satirical and tongue-in-cheek concept of První občasník (The First Periodical, 1961). It comprises six commentaries on the problems of everyday life: space rockets and queues outside shops selling scarce goods, go-kart races on city streets, the uniformity of fashion tastes and gender stereotypes, memory loss, Black Theatre with nowhere to perform, the inescapable noise of civilisation, and a grotesque scuffle at FAMU, where a ruthless battle is waged for the editing suite or a camera. Ironic off-screen commentary and intertitles are used throughout; the segments conclude with the Švejk-esque refrain “That calls for calm”, while the whole is framed by the opening exclamation “That’s a nerve-wracking business” and the closing line “That calls for a solution”. The film was produced in collaboration with students from DAMU and HAMU.

How it feels

Satirical, absurd, light and cynical. Brisk and needs your attention.

About

Media, class, identity, work

Content

Mild violence and language. No gore or sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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