The Sun in a Net

The Czech New Wave, which surged through the cinema of Czechoslovakia in the 1960s, had its origins in Slovakia. Considered a pioneering work of the movement, the 1962 Slovak film The Sun in a Net is a lyrical tale of first love, capturing two young protagonists at a moment of emotional awakening. Their insecurity, inexperience, and fear of adulthood are masked by cynicism and rebellious posturing. The plot is reduced to a minimum, with greater emphasis placed on the cinematography, which evokes the characters’ moods and emotions. Landscapes and the faces of passersby serve as silent guides, leading the protagonists toward self-discovery. The young man, eager to hold onto fleeting moments, never parts with his camera, striving to examine life more closely. This hesitant journey into adulthood finds echoes in later films of the Czech New Wave, such as Black Peter and Loves of a Blonde, whose characters continue the legacy of these early, tentative steps toward maturity.

Piotr Kotowski

Štefan Uher (1930–1993) was a pioneer of the Czechoslovak New Wave, a director who fused poetic realism with subtle yet daring social critique. His landmark film, The Sun in a Net (1962), is considered the movement’s first major work, capturing the struggles of youth in a rigid communist system. In later films such as Three Daughters (1967) and She Grazed Horses on Concrete (1982), he continued exploring the individual’s role in an oppressive society. Rich in symbolism and visual sophistication, Uher’s work remains a defining influence on Central European cinema.