Waves triumphs at this year’s Czech Lion awards
Vlny (Waves) was the big winner at this year’s Czech Lion national film awards, taking home six prizes, including Best Film and Best Director for Jiří Mádl. The ceremony took place at Prague’s Rudolfinum, where Mádl’s historical drama dominated the competition.
Jiří Mádl’s Waves, which centres on events at Czechoslovak Radio at the time of the Soviet invasion, became the highest-grossing Czech film of 2024, and the second highest-grossing Czech film of all time. It was put forward by Czechia as its nominee for the Best International Film category at this year’s Oscars.
Although it didn’t make the cut, this didn’t stop the Waves from dominating Saturday night’s Czech Lion national awards. Aside from taking the prize for Best Picture and Best Director, the film also earned the Best Screenplay for Jiří Mádl:
"I’m truly grateful for this screenplay award. When it came to directing, I was never alone—I had an incredible team by my side. I don’t want to sound overly modest, but without my amazing collaborators, the film would have been only half as good. At the same time, I believe that if I had handed this script to such a talented team, they still could have made something remarkable. For me, everything hinged on the script—it was the foundation of it all."
Waves also won Best Supporting Actor for Stanislav Majer, who portrayed Czech Radio journalist Milan Weiner. In his speech, Majer paid tribute to the real-life reporter:
"I thank Milan Weiner in heaven, and if I could make one wish upon receiving this Lion, it would be that the scenes from our film never become reality again—not in Prague, not in Kyiv, not anywhere in Europe."
Tatiana Pauhofová, who won Best Supporting Actress, also reflected on the role of journalism in her acceptance speech:
"I dedicate this to all the brave journalists in Slovakia who continue to uphold democratic values and work tirelessly to keep us on the right path."
Other films also had their moment in the spotlight. Best Actor went to Oldřich Kaiser for Zahradníkův rok (The Gardener's Year), directed by Jiří Havelka, while Pavla Beretová took Best Actress for her role in Veronika Lišková’s Rok vdovy (Year of the Widow).
Viktor Tauš’s Girl America, which dominated this year’s Czech film critics’ awards, won three Czech Lions—Best Cinematography, Best Costumes, and Best Set Design. The film, based on a theatre production of the same name, tells the story of a young girl abandoned and raised in totalitarian Czechoslovakia, blending surreal imagery with raw reality.
The Best Documentary award went to Klára Tasovská for I'm Not Everything I Want to Be, exploring the life of photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková. In animation, Život k sežrání (Living Large) won Best Animated Film, while The Markovič Method: Hojer took the Czech Lion for Best TV Series.
