The Ride [Rooftop Moviehouse] at Bohemian National Hall – New York, NY

The Ride /dir. Jan Svěrák / 1994 / comedy, drama / Czechia / Czech with English subtitles / 90 minutes

Jan Svěrák’s story (co-written with Martin Dostál) is strikingly simple and built on deliberately familiar premises. It’s a Czech road movie – as the tagline says: “A free-spirited film about two boys, one girl, a green convertible, and the hot games of summer.” Radek (Radek Pastrňák) and Franta (Jakub Špalek) get an old convertible, give it a quirky makeover, and set off in search of summer adventure. Along the way, they pick up Anna (Anna Geislerová), who is a bit nervous and a bit provocative, and is discreetly followed by her jealous boyfriend in a black Opel. And then they just drive, enjoying carefree bliss, unaware that, true to the rules of the genre, their laid-back ride is headed for a rather dramatic ending.

This year’s rooftop cinema series revisits the 1990s in Czechoslovakia and Czechia — a time when freedom seemed to have no limits. A coming-of-age moment for both individuals and a country, the decade saw the rise of cult classics like The Ride, The Idiot Returns, Buttoners, The Smoke, The Garden… and more.

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