Riders of the Sky

The participation of Czech pilots in the British RAF during World War II was largely silenced in communist Czechoslovakia. It wasn’t until the political thaw of the Prague Spring that this history could finally be acknowledged. Seizing this opportunity, Jindřich Polák directed the first film dedicated to these airmen – a tribute to their bravery. The story follows the crew of a bomber, but rather than crafting a conventional narrative, Polák structures the film as a series of episodes. This approach captures the “ordinary extraordinariness” of the pilots’ work. Their wartime odyssey is not only about aerial battles but also about their struggles to adapt to a new environment and create a semblance of normal life despite constant danger. Riders of the Sky was a major success in Czechoslovak cinemas, but after the Soviet-led invasion in August 1968, its patriotic message and emphasis on the determination to fight in all circumstances became politically sensitive. As a result, the film was shelved for 20 years. Czech cinema didn’t revisit this topic until 2001, when Jan Svěrák directed the acclaimed Dark Blue World.

The screening at Timeless Film Festival Warsaw marks the world premiere of the restored version of the film.

Piotr Kotowski

Jindřich Polák (1925–2003) was a Czech director and screenwriter, a pioneer of European science fiction cinema. His groundbreaking Ikaria XB 1 – Voyage to the End of the Universe (1963) was a visionary response to American sci-fi, inspiring the creators of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Polák also found success in other genres, creating the cult TV series Pan Tau (1970–1978), the thriller Death of Hitchhikers (1979), and the sci-fi comedy Tomorrow I’ll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea (1977). Blending realism with formal experimentation, his work remains a cornerstone of genre cinema.

screening partner

screening partner