Czech-Slovak "Full Monty" explores social issues

A new Czech-Slovak film is just coming to cinemas around the country. The film - made by the Slovak director Martin Sulik - is called "The City of the Sun or Working Class Heroes". It is a black comedy on a social theme, located in the industrial city of Ostrava in the North-East of the Czech Republic.

'The City of the Sun or Working Class Heroes'

It tells the story of a bunch of friends who happen to lose their job one day. They do not give up and try different ways to earn money. But life is not easy, and they are getting into all sorts of trouble. Not only do they lose the truck they bought to start a business, but they also have to face many difficulties in their personal relations which put their friendship to the test.

Alice Nellis, a well known young Czech filmmaker, assisted in writing the screenplay, and also has a minor role in the film. She says that films that focus on social themes, such as unemployment have not been too common in Czech cinema of recent years.

"The theme of being unemployed or having to fight for the daily bread is actually rather new here, because during the communism you could possibly not be unemployed. So it also has a logic that it reoccurs now, after many years, while in Britain you would find similar theme very often even in the genre as a comedy. I think it's the right time to start looking at the problem here, because the problem really is here and it's a part of life as anything else."

'The City of the Sun or Working Class Heroes'

The location in the industrial city of Ostrava is vital for the film. You notice the dialect typical for the region, and you also hear plenty of Slovak - as there are many Slovaks living in the city.

"It is a very special town. It is very near the border with Slovakia and also with Poland and that determinates the mixture. The people go there for work and when they loose the work they shift their life there and they very often stay there even without the work. But at the same time they are from a different country. It's a problem that you find along the border almost everywhere in Europe. I think it is Ostrava that gave the film this element."

In this respect it is a genuinely Czechoslovak film, not only because it is a co-production but in its content and characters as well. The director Martin Sulik believes that even though Czechoslovakia split up, Czechs and Slovaks remain close.

"This regards especially Ostrava. Ostrava is an industrial centre in North Moravia. Many Slovaks go to work there. A lot of Slovaks have been living there already since the times when the heavy industry was active there. So there is a natural Czechoslovak element there."

'The City of the Sun or Working Class Heroes'

Due to its character as the biggest industrial city in the Czech Republic, the filmmakers chose to set the story in Ostrava.

"Ostrava is a city where you can feel the social conflicts. You can feel the gap between the poor and the well off there. But at the same time Ostrava is a city where people have an incredible energy for living. It is a city that changed incredibly in recent years. The whole branch of heavy industry has died out there but the people are not passive. On the contrary, they try to be very active. They have enormous energy for living."

In its characters, subject matter and humour the film reminds us of the famous British comedy "The Full Monty". The City of the Sun is unlikely to enjoy the success of its British counterpart. It lacks exceptional ideas or an original story that would really capture the imagination. But still it is a nice, sincerely made film and going to see it is not a waste of time.